The Tango of Darkness Chapter
by Shelia13
Summary: In a city covered in darkness there's only one place to hide. Your own home. Or at least so you thought.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The raven haired male sat down solemnly on the sidewalk, twiddling a piece of rolling paper between his fingers. At first glance anyone would mistake such a piece of paper as simply a play thing. Maybe a love letter, or a letter of hate. No one really knew with that person as he twiddled the paper between his fingers somewhere in the back of the firm as he sat on the steps in the darkened alleyway. The safest alley way. The only safe alleyway in the whole city littered in crime. But upon further inspection another person might have noticed within that raven-haired male's hand was a cigarette as he puffed his life away. The door banged open, then shut again, footsteps echoed towards the slouched male who only looked up towards another. "You've got to get over your last firm! Seriously man, you got out of there when it was good." The blonde-Sting- attempted smiling at him as he sat down next to him attempting to take the box. To no avail as the raven haired male caught it just in time. In this city so full of crime the last thing on anyone's mind was if the two under aged teen cops were smoking out back. That was by far the most innocent thing that could have been done within this city. Out of the two of them the one more likely to smoke for pleasure or just to show off was probably Sting. But that man? No he had never even bothered touching one a day in his life. His muscles were his pride he wasn't going to throw away such hard work to a simple little piece of paper. The raven haired male-Rogue-on the other hand? He was a whole 'nother story himself.

"So what your firm got busted."

"They were busted for being an underground gang."

"So? It's not like there's a problem, everyone's safe...no one even got injured not even the good guys."

That sounded like great news to Sting, Rogue on the other hand? That simply sounded like a trap. Several days ago Rogue's old firm had been attacked by another firm who had determined was actually hiding as a misnomer and full of illegal activities. "So what? You're just worried about your big brother." Sting smiled as Rogue brushed some ash off into the street as he gave a grave glance over to his "brother" who sat down on the sidewalk kicking his legs out onto the street. "He's not my brother. He's someone I'm going to get arrested someday." Rogue sighed looking up at the sky, it was going to be another stormy night here at the simple-little-town where they lived. If anyone ever called this place innocent or cute it would be a malapropism to call in the** real **innocent victims mug them, rob them, and various other things that the police would have to take care of later. "Sting, this isn't going to be a joyride." Rogue sighed tapping his cigar against the street to scatter the ashes once again. "Yeah, neither is the hospital trip from these." Sting smiled holding up his pack of cigars. "It's empty." Rogue lied causing Sting to make a shocked look. "What?" Sting asked opening the package quick enough to be distracted where Rogue could snatch his pack back. "Dude, you nicked me with all those rings." Sting sighed, he wasn't joking and he wasn't mad either, right now he was just searching for something to say. Rogue sighed as he stared at the sky. "You need a new distraction maybe a hobby." Sting sighed glancing at the half empty pack of cigars now on the back step, mainly a piece of sidewalk, that was half empty. "I could've sworn you bought that one this morning." Sting grumbled looking at it. It wasn't healthy to be so consumed in smoke. "It's a different pack." Rogue sighed getting ready to stand up, his break was almost over, the minute he would go back inside the firm would be full of panicking people. Some of them teenagers also. The firm had opened themselves to teenagers. Simple jobs. To keep everyone out of crime, that was a high hope. That only worked for some. Others, such as Rogue and Sting, used simple minded places like these to hide. Right under everyone's noses.

"When'd you buy this one?" Sting asked as Rogue looked back over his shoulder towards Sting as he opened the door. "This afternoon." He knew what that meant. It meant the one from this morning Rogue had already burned through it. "Rogue, you really need to stop this." Sting sighed looking up at him from the sidewalk, pure bright blue eyes, like his father Weisslogia. But Weisslogia was all in the past now. "This isn't what he would want...no matter how much you-we've been threw." Sting explained as Rogue nodded. "There's always tomorrow." Rogue grumbled as Sting sighed. That was always the answer. Even when Weisslogia had talked to him about quitting several days before...before the tragedy that had caused them to start working for the police firm in this dreaded city. "Why'd you even come out here anyway? You hate the scent." Rogue sighed now that his break was almost over heading inside. Where other teenage officers and secretaries, such as Yukino, were waiting.

"Well, it's kind of an odd job for us-"

"Oh Sting! Did you tell Rogue about...the issue,yet?"

...Well he was getting there...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I felt my knuckles brace themselves against the wooden door. It was unusual to even be out here at this time of night. It was highly dangerous, possibly illegal, and definitely lethal. If anyone had caught me out here **especially** the place where I had just come from...there would be no doubt in the world what I was doing. I would be counted as a-a-a witness. Something that could cost me everything. My job, my money, my life...the few things I had left since my family had packed up and left town. Leaving only behind a letter saying "see ya we've got to go, there's probably a job for you in the red light district, talk to our old friend Clark" which had me bawling for hours until I sucked it up and talked to Clark, who really wasn't Clark. And that other thing? A shabby run down apartment. I bit my lip. There was no way that these people could help me. Not at this hour. Not at this place. Not at this time or day. Not ever. I turned away from the door with lights just flickering off and...ran. I heard the clank of my unstable heels against the sidewalk, running if anyone would ever question a girl running throughout this city. No. They would all turn their heads and look at the sidewalk pretending they had no idea what was happening. That's what happened in our city. Because they would think I wouldn't go to help them. The truth was. I wouldn't. I would do the exact same thing. I slowed down a block away from the police station where I begun walking at a quickened pace back towards my apartment where the actual problem laid in wait. It was dangerous out at night for anyone. Even the one's who had certain connections which caused them to be, well feel, the slightest bit _safer. _Those people were probably the one's in the most danger themselves.

I prodded the way up the steps until I finally reached the door with the unveiling of my key. I glanced around, a certain habit that's obtained before going into your own home in this city, or it might cost you your life it you didn't. Upon the sidewalk were two "passerby's" I hurried inside not wanting to stand around any longer to find out what their ranking really was. I shut the door behind me and clicked the lock shut. I turned to my beautiful apartment-it was covered in smoke.

"Rogue, I told you no smoking in the house!"

"Tch. I'm outside."

The two voices were immediately followed by a window slamming shut. One was inside my house the other was outside. I gulped down my breath struggling for air as I watched blonde hair practically glowing within the darkness begin to turn on the fans. He clicked one of the lights on. "No! Don't do that! They'll know someone's home!" I shouted wondering if I should call the police instead as I glanced towards him. I watched as the blonde swiveled his head rapidly to look at me. He pointed towards me before speaking. "You stay right there." He growled looking at me as my heart thumped, I could feel my back leaning on the cool door as I weighed my options. Going back outside into the dangerous night? It was nearly one in the morning, that was considerably suicide. Than there was the other option staying within the apartment my parents had given me before up and disappearing with the two intruders. "Rogue! You said this place was vacant!" The blonde shouted seeming infuriated as what I imagined he got as a reply was a shrug. "You've been so careless these days! This is when we have to be the most careful!" Before the blonde walked back into the building.

"Who are you?" He growled as I felt my heel hit the back of my front door. "I-I'm, I'm the renter of this apartment." I stuttered wondering if that meant i was going to die tonight. "I'm going to die tonight aren't I?" I stuttered as my back slid down the door I stared up at the approaching blonde. There were so many nights that I thought stalkers would kill me straight out on the streets while other nights I was terrified of dying because of my job that my parents had left me with Clark who wasn't really Clark but Kent who wasn't really Kent. We all called him Clark anyway. Now I would simply die in my own apartment. "Tch." Came from the blonde as he stared down at me running his hand threw his hair. "What am I going to do with you?" He meant hide the body, he had to mean how was he going to kill me without anyone finding out. The easy part. The hard part was hiding the body. I gulped down air as the back door opened. "We've got to keep a low profile, mind offering a place to stay?" The black haired one sighed, he sounded depressed, as he glanced at me as if he knew I was cowering at my own front door the entire time. It was so nonchalant as he looked at me. He must've seen such a thing all the time. I gulped and nodded. That would mean I would live for another day. I nodded. Scared of what the outcome would actually be.

"See Sting? Simple."


	3. Chapter 3

**Before you begin: Sammydress is actually an online store. I like this outfit but thought it fit my scenario. **

**Chapter 3**

I felt my heart pound. Who were these two? I was going to die tonight but I needed to know how organized the organization that was trying to kill me was. Was it a gang? Or the mafia? Who was the one the one that noticed the murder that was committed? Which one killed the person I had noticed. I sucked in my breath staring up at the two. How would I die? That was the question now. "So.." The blonde, Sting, turned to me looking at me.

"Here are the house keys, don't kill me! I don't have anywhere to go!"

"Can you cook?"

I lowered my keys slowly staring up at the two blinking innocent seeming blue eyes. "C-can I cook?" I stuttered as he nodded slowly like I was stupid. "Answer yes! It'll save your life!" I nodded slowly. "I'm not good but i'm learning...I can cook several meals." I stuttered not bothering to tell them the reason that I can cook but barely because of my parents leaving me behind. Sting nodded slowly. Something that felt like rage slowly boiled inside of me as I glanced at him. He hadn't even bothered asking my name but was already demanding that I cooked for them. "Hey! You haven't even asked my name yet!" I snapped as rattling came from the kitchen causing me to stand up and head towards there. "Was there another one in the house? How many were there?" I thought heading towards the kitchen. I glanced within the kitchen where Rogue was already setting up the pots to begin cooking something. The only problem? The pots were already on fire. "Stop!" I shouted rushing him as my side slammed against him moving the pots and swinging off the fire. "Ow! What are you made out of?" I shouted as he looked at me as if he were looking threw me. "And that's why I need you to cook." Sting explained as I nodded wondering if shouting at this Rogue would get me killed. I gulped hoping they would need a cook tomorrow and maybe the night after. "So what's your name?" Rogue asked, he reeked of smoke, and there was a pack under in his hands already. He hadn't even bothered standing up from where he pretended to be knocked down. No way could I knock someone with muscles like that down. "What did I tell you about smoking in the house?!" Sting shouted glaring at him.

"Dude I was making you dinner."

"We've had a conversation about that haven't we?"

He was followed by silence which Rogue followed with a smirk. "You haven't even asked her, her name yet have you?" Rogue asked cupping a flame inside his hand as he tried to light another. Sting snatched it out of his hands. "Outside." Sting growled. Rogue sighed putting a hand on his leg. "If you can tell me her name." Rogue smiled as I glanced up at the two.

"You look like you have some form of advantage." Sting growled then glanced at me, he was looking me over. Trying to think if he saw any name tags or maybe he was trying to decipher what kind of person I looked like.

"Kimberly? Angelica? Maybe a Rae?"

"Celeste."

"Celeste."

Rogue and I both echoed each other as Sting sighed. "Please just make us dinner, it's been a long night." Sting sighed as I nodded. This would save my life. "So dinner is going to be promptly at five every night." I explained as they each gave me strange looks. "We're in my house so I figured it'd be alright if I set down some rules." I explained as they nodded slowly as if they understood but weren't going to comply. "Also, no one enters my room." They nodded the same looks upon their faces. It was probably too late for that one. "That's kind of where I set my stuff." Sting explained as I cast him a look. He didn't know my name. He didn't know I lived here. And he set his stuff within my room. That one must've been oblivious, that meant Rogue was the brains. No wonder only one of them smoked. They probably had rough lives but Rogue was the only one who noticed. "So we'll talk over dinner." Sting explained dragging Rogue outside and beginning to fan out the place. "Does Rogue have an addiction?" I asked as Sting came back sitting at my kitchen table with far too many chairs. Sting nodded slowly. "It'll get fixed soon. Just let him stay with it a little longer." Sting sighed looking away. Meaning he hadn't found a way to help. I felt my shaking hands begin to cook the food. It was so early in the morning and they were calling this dinner. "Since you're going to be in my house for a while...are you guys one of the mafias or one of the gangs?" I stuttered wondering if that sentence alone would get me killed, I watched as Sting suddenly bristled in the mirror. I bit my lip, this would've technically counted as a hostage situation. I should've stopped at that police station. I would've had protection and these two wouldn't be able to threaten my life. Sting sighed looking at the table. "It's better you don't know which. The less you know the better." He explained as I nodded placing "dinner" on the table. "Rogue you throw that out and you can come in for dinner!"

"Not hungry!"

"Get in here!"

I glanced up as Rogue was dragged within the house to eat dinner. "I'm not hungry." Rogue grumbled looking down at his food. "Well maybe if you'd stop smoking you'd realize that you haven't eaten in days!" Sting shouted a crossed the table. I sighed scraped my plate, washed it, and placed it in the dishwasher. "Rogue you better eat all. I'll be right back." Sting said as I entered my room preparing to flop down on the bed wondering if I should lock the door. That was out of the question Sting's stuff was all over my bed. "Yup he's oblivious." My mind whispered as I headed to the window locking it tightly. I pulled the tape out beginning to double check my surroundings. Everything seemed safe enough. "Is someone after you?" I glanced back to the oblivious blonde standing in the now open doorway. "Not exactly." I hummed trying to look innocent. "Celeste." He sighed as if he were chastising me. I bowed my head nodding. "It's nothing I'll take care of it." I whispered as he nodded slowly.

"Can I come in and get my stuff?" He asked as I nodded.

"I've got work in the morning, I'll be back around the afternoon, than I have to work again at six to eleven. Make sure everyone's in the house before five because that's when I lock up."

Sting shot me a look as if questioning why I was working two jobs. That was a lie, I was working three. And bluntly? Exhausted. Sting left with all of his stuff towards the other two rooms. I pulled out my phone next to my bed inside a draw. My emergencies only phone typing in my mother's number with the words "_mom I'm scared. Why'd you leave me?" _On the tips of my lips as the phone picked up. I felt a smile come to my lips. "_We are sorry to tell you that this number has been permanently __**disconnected**__." _I felt my smile fall from my face and a sob escape my lips. I was so screwed.

"Celeste." Sting asked knocking on the door as I glanced up once again towards the door wondering once again if I should really lock it. We didn't even discuss anything over dinner. "What is it?" I murmured. "We've got work in the morning, we'll be back before dinner." Sting explained as I nodded wondering if he could see me. "So..um, k', night." He stuttered before his feet padded away.

Somewhere in between that time I must have passed out because when I opened my eyes threw my taped window the sun was trying to poke its way in through the curtains. The house reeked of smoke. I sighed if they were hiding they weren't be inconspicuous. They stuck out like a sore thumb smoking in my house. I opened the door heading towards the kitchen where I would get breakfast and head out to my good honest job. It was working in a building not far from here. I would breeze my way throughout that today. If I was going to pretend like I had never seen the murder of the stranger than I would have to go to work. I sucked in my breath pouring my cereal as I glanced up. Rogue was at the stove. He wasn't smoking! The house was on fire! "Rogue! I told you no smoking the house!"

"You told me there's no smoking allowed in the rooms so I moved to the couch."

"Rogue! Shit! What the hell man? We talked about you cooking! I know you're trying to be helpful just worry about the brains. Besides Celeste said she'd do that for us!"

"She just got up, I thought it was rude since we broke in."

"Dude! The house is on fire!"

Sting batted out the flames with one of my random mats as I considered getting a lock for the stove along with a new lock for my front door, my bedroom door, and back door. Maybe the windows too. "So how'd you guys even get in?" I asked as they both looked at each other then back towards me. "Through the attic." They explained as I nodded slowly. That would have to get replaced too. "Okay I'm off to work, Rogue no cooking, smoke outside. But not too long you'll kill yourself that way. In more ways than one." They both nodded as I felt my heart make a sudden thud making the realization they might not let me leave as I scurried out the door with a quick sigh of relief when I finally made it to my own building. Several people greeted me but no one really concerned themselves with me as we all busied our ways through our days. I sighed finally escaping as I headed towards the house once again a hand suddenly on my shoulder. I felt my heart pound. Someone knew, and I was about to be kidnapped and die. I felt my heart pound again as I slowly turned towards who was standing there. "Hey, Celeste...do you need a ride back home? Some people have been saying you've been acting strangely today." It was Cobra, he also worked my night job as a bartender, so basically it was the slightly safe. I felt myself relax knowing that if he ever saw me actually doing my job I would've died right on the spot. He was the only one in there I had a little respect for. If I lost his capable face I think I would've lost all of respect for myself. "Ye-" I was about to answer gratefully for the way this city was structured with it's criminal organizations and dirt out in broad daylight. And witnessing a murder yesterday. I had no idea if anyone knew that I saw that someone was killed. I didn't know if anyone was after me. A flash of blonde hair echoed in my mind. I thought of the two who had entered my house. They may have saved me because they were in my apartment, it benefited them, but that meant nothing on Cobra.

"No! No, I'm fine. I just tripped." I smiled as he nodded.

"One more time than your usual."

"Nope totally fine."

He nodded slowly as if he didn't believe me, the scar on his face becoming more prominent. He had gotten it from protecting his girlfriend Kinana from the "organizations" of this city. So of course he would be the first to worry if someone he knew had wound up mixed up in these "organizations" mainly for Kinana though since they would have a connection to him and know about her. It was written on his face. Literally. "I'll be heading home now!" I smiled heading out the door. "Remember if you run into the SaberTooth gang, run and don't turn back. Come get me if you can." Cobra whispered before letting me as I nodded wishing I didn't have to. There was no way I knew of any of them I would be safe. Hopefully.

I arrived home opening the door and shutting it behind me to notice that all the curtains in the living room were close. I sighed heading towards my room. It was probably almost time for my second job. Just enough to get changed, make them dinner, and head towards my second job. I headed towards my room and changed rapidly, going to open the door, before I grabbed an extra coat and threw a skirt on. They would come off before I left but not while I was making dinner. Not with **them** in the house. They didn't need to know the kind of life I was living to keep this house running on bare minimum wage. I moved to the kitchen assembling the ingredients as I heard the door slam. The back door. That wasn't right. I suckered my breath reaching for the knives in the draw my mind struck in between the idea of the cast iron pots and the knives. The pots would hurt more but the knives would be more threatening. "Yo, what's for dinner?" Sting asked coming in as I set down the knife sighing. "...are you sure you're okay?" He asked as I nodded. I wasn't about to tell total strangers there was a possibility someone was after my life. It had only been one day, there was no way they would make a move without a plan. I sucked in my breath. "Totally okay." I smiled as he nodded. "Why are you home early anyway?" I asked they weren't supposed to arrive for another ten minutes. "Yukino gave us the day off, something about the safety of the firm." Sting explained as I nodded. Firm? Did that mean police?

"Are you a police officer?" I whispered I had heard that places like that had begun hiring, but only people without a criminal record officially behind them. Teenagers hopefully to get everyone out of trouble with something to do and money to spend. I glanced at Rogue's pack on the table. That's where the money was going too. "I locked him out without his cigars." Sting nodded as if he had the best idea in the world. "Sting? Cold turkey?" I whispered as he nodded.

"Our jobs to take care of each other. Rogue's always trying to take care of me, I guess you noticed from his attempts at cooking, but I can't do anything for him." Sting explained as I nodded. "You do realize that cold turkey is the least effective of the ways to cure an addiction correct?" I asked as Sting slammed his fist against the table making some words out that sounded like "shit!" I sighed finishing dinner and setting it on the table.

"I'll let him in."

"Put those in the candle area first"

Sting nodded and somehow already knew which cabinet I kept the candles in placed them in, than headed for Rogue who came back. "See that wasn't that bad. Just an hour." Sting sighed as they sat at the table where Rogue twitched constantly eating with one hand while his hand unconsciously searched for his cigarettes with the other. I felt his foot under the table as it twitched constantly until finally Rogue got up apparently pulling another box from where he had hidden it earlier and headed out before dinner was done. "So you've got another thing to do tonight?" Sting grumbled as I nodded. "So we've got to be in the house before five like children while you go out again when it's practically dead as night out there." Sting grumbled obviously not willing to comply with that idea. "Just here long enough so I can make dinner." I stated looking away as Sting nodded slowly. Secretly I had wanted to keep them within the house so they would never find out about my side job. "What time are you going to be home?" He asked probably wanting to know when he should unlock the door again. "Around eleven, maybe twelve no later than one." I explained as he pushed his chair back obviously this wasn't settling well with him. "So your telling us to be back before it's even dark out and you're going to be out all night?" He criticized. "So? I've got a job running this late, you've got a problem with it?" I growled back ready to remove the key from my pocket to tell him there's the door. His eyes glew with rage as suddenly I felt small again, I was arguing with someone from organized crime. "If anyone comes to the door don't let them in. I've got a key." I whispered as I sat down staring at the table again as Sting slowly sat down again. I scraped my dishes and headed towards my room to get changed once again realizing I wasn't exactly comfortable in the outfit I was wearing.

I changed quickly throwing the coat on my bed. A little comfort would make me happy. This house was barely above the red in debts. Something my parents had left me with. I locked my door and headed to my dresser where I slipped on some "_Punk Style PU Leather Buckle Decoration Dancing Shorts For Women__" _by an online store called Sammydress well basically it was all from Sammydress. There was some new attachment and comfort I found in the clothing. I slipped on the skirt, _Fringe Embellished Cotton Blend Solid Color Waistband Skirt For Women, _over it. Basically it was simply a bunch of hems not even a skirt. I clipped a black collar around my neck and headed for my shirt, slipping black gloves on at the time. "Where's Celeste?" Rogue's voice echoed outside the door. "Said something about having to head out for her job." Sting replied to him. "Same job?"

"Apparently another one."

There was silence after that as I continued getting dressed. I slipped on black boots with heels on the back, probably a stupid choice since I struggled to walk in heels, still wondering which shirt to choose. I picked up a double sleeved black shirt, the sleeves only came up to my forearms where they connected just a crossed. I threw a jacket over top and headed out my door just a couple more steps and I would be home free to my evil job. The lights were almost all out except the hallway where Rogue stood guarding the door, Sting had already apparently gone to bed. "Where do you think your going?" He grumbled looking sternly at me as something struck me, somehow in this light, he was almost handsome. Now only if he'd quit smoking. Than maybe I would actually look at him and see some of his personality instead of arguing with Sting over if he should or shouldn't smoke. "Why do you smoke?" I grumbled.

"I'm going to quit."

"Really?"

"There's always tomorrow, anyway stay on topic. No person in the right mind has a job at this time of night especially in this city."

I looked at the floor than back at him. "Well I'm not in the right mind." I said as I attempted to get past him only for my shoulder to be slammed against the wall. "I need to go." I whispered. As he shook his head. "Do you know what it's like outside, the things they could do to you." He chastised as I glared back. "I'll be fine, I've been doing this for years." Which was a lie, brimming at the top of my lips. Instead my lips answered with "Like what?" Completely the wrong answer. I felt the pressure from his lips bring my head to the back of the wall. His lips were warm and at first tasted like sugar which switched into something grotesque as I realized it was the scent of his smoke. The sugar only lasted the smallest amount of time. I attempted to pull away but instead found that I was stuck against the wall where he had pressed me his hands wrapped around my forearms he was probably leaving marks by now. "S-stop." I felt bubble in my throat as he slowly let go realizing that he was leaving marks upon my arms. "A stranger wouldn't stop if you asked them." He explained I nodded in reply. "Where do you work?" He begun again, his eyes looking hollow as if he saw what was under my jacket as he was kissing me, I felt a shiver rise to my lips as he adjusted his hands from my shoulders to flat against the wall I was still trapped. "I work in the red light district. D-don't tell Sting...I'd die of embarrassment if everyone in the house k-knew." I felt a stutter come to my lips he seemed to be looking right thru me again like he was on the first day. I took this advantage to duck under his arms and ran out the door. "Rogue? What'd you do?" Sting's voice echoed behind me as I ran down the apartment stairs heading out into the night. I bit down on my lips as I ran threw the streets towards my job arriving just in time. He was trying to stop me long enough to be late, hopefully getting me fired.

I arrived just in time as Cobra looked at me nodding making sure that I was alright. I cast him a weary smile and then headed into my business. My job rotated in between being a waitress and other such things. We took turns making sure that everyone got a turn with everything. Mainly so the dancer's didn't feel their self-esteem plummet every night. Unless you personally requested being a dancer. And some did. It gave them the bonuses they needed. Some were dirt broke and needed it, the other's not so much they were rolling in money. Because of this job. I walked in taking a sharp breath as I head towards my turn. This wasn't my favorite part, I would've preferred to by an all around waitress. But I would pull my weight too. I stepped up on the stage, heard the lights click out. There should be only two of them with maybe a bodyguard standing within my cubby. It was a cubby half-stage half audience we each got our personal one so we wouldn't feel degraded looking at each other when we were waitressing. This was my dance. I could do this. I was assigned the belly dancing tonight. Although most cringed at it, I felt somehow comfortable in this situation. "Okay remember, form." My mind thought I was only going to focus on the dance and not the customers. Besides that's what it said in my job, other's gave a little "more" than they were supposed to but that wasn't my problem.

I took a deep breath as the light lit itself upon me. I slid my hands up my stomach and begun to move in the proper ways out towards in the distances going threw the phases before someone shouted "times up!" and kicked some of them out, I glanced towards the faces. Something we were told not to do, it would only make you feel _different_ if you ever met them out on the street. But you couldn't help but look at the people who were watching you. "How can you go threw this hours on end." One of the guards sighed as I sat on the floor grabbing some water. "It's something you do so you don't have to crawl in the dirt. Yeah I'm too young for this I know. I don't have anything to protect or keep happy. But I want to be able to keep my own house and keep stable when I finally do." I muttered as he casted me a peculiar look before laughing causing me to raise my eyebrows in question. "In a world like this your concern is money." He sighed as I shrugged. "It's not my only concern." I shrugged as the timer buzzed. The next set of people were coming in. As suddenly screaming started I looked towards my guard who removed both a key and a gun from his pocket. "Out, out, the lot of you!" It was Clark, er Kent, or Clark whatever we wanted to call him, reminding me of a recent comic book hero before he cleared the entire area. "Everyone we're all going home early! I've had enough of this nonsense tonight!" Clark shouted as we all came out of our rooms nodding, two or three girls getting things back on while others were clenching their elbows. It was easy to tell who needed the money and who was doing it for fun. I sighed walking towards my jacket as I slipped it on just in time. "Do you need a ride home?" Cobra asked my apartment was a stop from his place where he and his girlfriend stayed. That's how he found out where I lived and that he would be able to help me, he had seen me walking one time and offered a ride. On Kiana's permission of course, but she was such a sweetheart she would've said yes to even Cobra's X-girlfriend if asked. Or maybe that was trust? I was about to say yes when I remembered Sting and Rogue were at my place. He would definitely knock their lights out for being in my house. My eyes ran over Cobra's scar underneath his eye. I wouldn't put him in danger. "No, no...I'm good. Little exercise never killed anyone." I smiled towards him. "Are you hiding something Celeste?" He asked as I looked down the hallway towards the door where everyone was leaving. It would be safe to go home with this crowd. "No, no. I've got to go. Head home, some stuff to solve in the morning before work." I explained as Cobra nodded slowly. He knew something was up. That was the only reason I was receiving **that **nod of his.

I walked out heading down the street. It was in between a fifteenth minute and half an hour walk back to my house. If I was lucky I could probably clear it in ten. I watched as everyone got in their cars and prepared to leave. I sighed beginning my stroll back to my house. As suddenly footsteps echoed behind me. "It's the killer...he's back to finish the job." My heart stopped as I felt the need to look over my shoulder but instead picked up the pace, so did the follower. I gulped down air as I picked up speed. "I know you know i'm back here, why not stop and talking to me for a few? Maybe it'll turn into all night? My place" The voice echoed behind me as it hadn't echoed with the slightest bit of friendliness. One more block I could make it. I burst out into a run straight up into my apartment steps where I would bang on the door repeatedly. Almost! Almost, I glanced up towards my stairs they were designed like fire escape color and design without all the fire escape issues, I ran up it metal clanking and thudding all the way making it to the last step where my stalker grabbed my ankle.

"I've been watching you forever...what was with those two boys yesterday? I thought we had something. Why were they in your house?" He begged almost sounding like a lost child as I struggled to move forwards my nails clawing within the holes of the metal. "Who are you?" I shouted trying to kick him off with one of my heels. "It was one of those boys wasn't it?!" The stalker suddenly started screaming as I glanced towards him wondering if he was the murder and if he murdered one of my colleagues with this same ideal. I felt slightly worried but those boys would be fine without me...I thought of Rogue standing in front of the giant fire this morning and not caring- ah who was I kidding? I glanced down to the stalker trying to kick him off. "Did one of them attract you to his bed already? Was it the blonde? He seems like a type for that. Even a harem of people." The stalker screamed, his voice shaking, as I attempted to kick him my other shoe coming down on his head, he didn't even seemed phased. "No! Let go!" I shrieked standing up as the man chased me down towards the corner of the metal my hand missing the door handle as I was shoved against the wall. He was pulling _exactly _what Rogue had pulled earlier. What Rogue told me people would try to pull if I kept up this job. "Don't touch me." I whispered as the stalker smelled me. It was disgusting I wanted him off as he grabbed my hands to keep him from pushing them away trapping them beside my head. "Help!" I screamed attempting to beat on the door with my foot. "It was the raven haired one wasn't it? You poor soul. I'll make you forget." He whispered as I felt a sob escape my lips, I wasn't escaping not at this rate. Strangely enough I didn't want to forget. Not about my first kiss that tasted like sugar, well the first part at least. I felt tears brim to my eyes.

The door swung open with a sudden cracking sound as I shut my eyes feeling the sobbing escape my lips. "The fuck you think you're touching!?" Sting's voice shouted as I heard someone fall down all of the stairs as hands wrapped around my hips pulling me into the light. I glanced up at Rogue who seemed to be checking me over. "I told you don't go." He whispered as I nodded, probably a promise I wouldn't be keeping. "Next time you better know who we are!" Sting screamed. "And she!" Sting pointed towards me. "Belongs to us!" Sting shouted as we glanced at the stalker at the bottom of the stairs. He pulled away with a gasp as I was in the doorway being pulled inside by Rogue's hands. The man trembling in sheer terror as he stared at my face as if he finally realized he had done something wrong.

"The chick the boss is looking for!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Get in the house." Rogue whispered as he dragged me back slowly by my hip as I was in between nodding unsure if I wanted him to decide everything for me. "Are you sure?" I whispered as he shot me a look that said "_I'll take care of it." _ I gulped down some air. "No. I'm not leaving." I stammered as Rogue rolled his eyes. "Take my cigarettes inside, I don't want them crushed. We'll talk about this later." He explained as I hesitantly nodded as he placed his cigar's pack into my hand. "Celeste, bring back that duct tape you had yesterday!" Sting shouted as I nodded heading inside missing the stalker get kicked in the face for saying my name and Rogue's annoyed comment about duct tape. I brought back out the duct tape chucking it down to Sting at the bottom of the stairs. Sting in turn dragged the stalker back up the stairs and into the house, screaming all the way, the both of them, at each other. I found myself shuffling around them till Sting got him into the kitchen presumably for the knife I had been holding earlier. Which he now knew where they were. Which since I had only known them for two days, that was pretty scary. I felt a relieved slightly that he was blindfolded and couldn't see what the inside of my house looked like.

I glanced towards Rogue as he checked the yard for any more followers before shutting the door with us...outside. Rogue swirled, the fastest I had ever seen anyone ever move, **especially** since he smoked. I took a breath in not expecting that. He swirled grabbing hold of my arms again. "My god! I told you to stay here with us! Do you have a death-wish?" He shouted, there was a lengthened pause, I begun to answer as he sighed. It was a rhetorical question-I stopped myself sighing and wondering if he was the "lots-of-yelling-type when he got mad. "Ugh." Rogue slowly begun to let go one hand already gone, searching within his pocket for his cigar-pack that he didn't have, and the other hand still gripping my shoulder. I glanced up at him as the sound of a car echoed behind us causing Rogue to look up wide-eyed. "Shit! Get in the house!" Rogue shouted hustling me inside as the mysterious red covert sped away. Rogue ushered me inside as the red corvet did a U-turn only to park by my house. I looked out of the curtains as he pulled me back, pulling none other than a hidden gun from his back pocket. I felt my heart skip a beat. It wasn't as if I had never seen a gun before within a town like this, they were brandished as if they were a new present. Sometimes guns really were new presents attached with notes like "keep safe", "keep them safe", "go wild", and "bring me some cash" all very scary messages in their own respect. Also there was the fact that a person that was living under my house was carrying at least one extremely dangerous concealed weapon upon them. I pushed the idea of how many weapons he and Sting were carrying on them away. "_See? If they were going to abuse you or kill you, you would be long dead by now." _My mind tried to settle me but instead I only felt more panic...lack of control brushing at my fingertips. I watched Rogue as he pressed his back against the wall, gun up already in position waiting. I sighed attempting to peak out the window as Rogue batted me away from it. It was a stupid move in general. I sighed turning to head to my door as suddenly the phone was ringing.

I hurried into my room where I picked up the landline, that would be cancelled in less than two days because I was procrastinating on paying it with the money I didn't have to fork up, and sighed breathing into the phone. "Hello?" I asked feeling the slightest hope in my heart that it was my mother who somehow maternally realised their long-lost-left behind daughter was trying to get ahold of them. "Hey." The voice sounded worried a little confused and male. I bit my lip. I was going to be in a lot of trouble I could hear it in his voice. "Is something wrong?" I let it slip immediately there was no point in delaying him on his answers especially on who it was. There was a silence. Never good I felt myself struggle not to take a breath wondering if he had somehow found out that I had two other people in my house. Not to mention _men_ of all people in my apartment. Especially since he hadn't been invited in himself yet. "I think I should be asking you that. Are you okay? I thought something weird was going on at work." Cobra's voice came thru the phone as I felt the slightest sigh of relief. It sounded as if Cobra hadn't suspected anything yet. I felt a guilty smile brim it's way to my face. Cobra would be enraged if anything dangerous was near here, _**especially **_if it was considerably a danger to Kinana. In a way that was both admirable and cute. "I hope this town is safe enough I can tease him one day about how overprotective he is of her." I thought feeling my heart sink. He had reason to. Especially after what Saber- I shook my head that wasn't my problem and Kinana was always acting like she didn't remember a thing. The truth was? She didn't. But that didn't mean Cobra didn't. "Yeah, I'm fine. Another girl told me earlier that she thought it was one of the girlfriend's breaking in and getting mad. I mean it happens all the time." I explained as I could hear Cobra shrugging a blinker in the background apparently still driving home from wherever he stopped after work. "Okay, I've got to go." He explained sounding hesitant and I smiled and said goodbye just in time for Rogue to open the door.

"I'm not sure if you want to...I mean it's okay if you say no...but do you want to come in the kitchen while we integrate the stalker?" There was a silence until Rogue continued his hand twitching as if he'd rather be outside smoking. "If you don't want to...it's because you're the owner of the house." Rogue explained as I nodded getting up from the bed slowly as I hung up the phone, the only phone in the house. Rogue raised his eyebrows. "Only phone in the house, you may use it if you ask. It's only got three programmed numbers in it. Well it did have four but my parent's-" I stopped myself mid-sentence maybe it was best if the people who broke into my house didn't know I couldn't contact my parents anymore so if I disappeared it wouldn't be a problem. "Sure." I whispered as we headed towards the kitchen I felt my feet brushed the cold floor realising how could it felt for the first time as I stared at the rampaging man within the chair in my kitchen. "Can we burn that one later and get a new one?" I whispered as Rogue nodded.

"Later" He instructed as we turned back towards the rampaging man.

"Give her back! Give her back!" The rampaging man screamed as I felt myself pull back wondering exactly what he wanted but shaking my head not wanting those type of thoughts within my own head. "It's safe. We're going to protect you." Sting said standing up from where he was done tying the rampager down. I nodded heading into the kitchen silently as Rogue sat at the table staring blankly a crossed from the stalker. I felt my heart plummet trying to discover what he was thinking. "So are we done with the screaming?" Sting asked sounding exhausted with the stalker as the stalker nodded slowly apparently muffled by a piece of duct tape over his mouth. "Okay. We're going to talk. About a lot of things. And I'm going to lead." Sting explained. The tied man nodded once again. "And you are going to shut up when I say shut up, okay?" Sting explained further as the man nodded again. I felt a shiver run threw me wondering what Sting had done to make the man who was so determined before into such a submissive being. "I'm the only one in here, so I'm just going to talk. We are going to have a nice chat." Sting explained pulling off the tape. "You're a fucking insane hypocritical idiot! I will come back and kill you one day while bathing in your blood I will-" Sting slapped the piece of tape over his mouth again.

"What did I say about the name calling?" Sting asked obviously sounding as if he had been threw this process a hundred times before. The stalker nodded slowly. Sting peeled the tape once again. As the stalker sighed. "You fucking idiot! You're going to get us all killed! You wait until our boss finds you!" The stalker shouted as Sting looked suddenly interested.

"This idiot would like to know who your idiot boss is." Sting explained.

"NO ONE EVEN KNOWS!"

The stalker laughed hysterically before Sting slapped him and slapped tape back on to his mouth. "Okay, that's about all we're going to get out of him." Sting explained turning to us. "Take her back to her room, while I-I get rid-deal with him." Sting explained as Rogue ushered me out of the room. "It'll be fine." I whispered trying to tell him that it doesn't affect me. "It affects Sting. He requested." Rogue explicated as I nodded, whatever Sting was about to do he was uncomfortable doing it around other. I nodded as I headed towards my room, before pulling out another key from my pocket. "Rogue, here's the key to the other room...just open the window if you're going to smoke inside." I explained as he nodded slowly.

"It's fine, Sting's right, I shouldn't smoke at night anyway." Rogue replied as I nodded, headed to my room, got changed, locked the door, and headed for bed. I slipped into bed attempting to get the few hours of sleep before my next job while feeling completely exhausted. I faded in and out of dreams several times as I listened to the footsteps outside my door being broken up by time. The door opened and shut three times, no four. That meant someone was coming home.

"Is the deed done?"

"Yeah. They say it gets easier every time you do it."

"Does it?"

"Physically? Yeah...mentally, not so much."

I wanted to wake up out of my dreaming state and go to the door to ask what the two exhausted voices were talking about but instead the feet sounded as if they had just padded off to bed. "It's nothing important." My mind whispered. I glanced at the roof feeling exhaustion power over me as I pondered in between fear and wanting to sink into a dream to melt away the day. A fear of having a nightmare about everything that had happened stalkers, murders, and twisting it into a bad way. I could already see the pool of seeping re-no I was also afraid of another thing. Dreaming up that I liked one of the breaking-and-entering boys. That would be scary too. I felt my eyes get heavy there was no point arguing with myself as I made random conclusions. It felt only a few seconds that my head had finally hit the bed as my alarm started buzzing, I reached around trying to shut it off before it woke everyone up. Turns out it didn't have to do that job. I could hear the feet pacing around the house, Rogue's making his way out the door for presumably his first cigarette of the day. Or at the first one since the sun came up. While someone else, probably Sting, sat at the kitchen table dragging his chair back and forth while paging through the paper the coffee pot made a dinging sound. He was making breakfast already. I groaned getting out of bed as I put my uniform for my morning job on once again. There was no time to wash it not with all that had happened the previous night. It wouldn't kill anyone anyway no one would notice. It wasn't the first time I wound up wearing a twice worn uniform, beside in a city like this that wasn't the problem. Well at least the least of people's worries.

I headed to the kitchen where Sting was making pancakes. "I think we need to talk over rent." Sting explained as I looked hazily at him where he handed me a plate of pancakes. Obviously making breakfast, at least he could cook without lighting a fire in the house. "Rent?" I murmured like a five year old who had no idea what the word meant. "Yeah. I've noticed...you're behind on a lot of things. So Rogue and I were talking about splitting it with you." He explained as I nodded hazily. "We'll solve this when you're more awake later." He explained handing me my ingredients from the fridge. "Also we have other things we need to talk about when you get back from work." He explained as I nodded once again not really feeling like talking much in the morning. "I'm-a head to work now." I explained as he nodded slowly.

"Are you sure you want to go alone? I mean you don't have a car." He explained as I shook my head. "Owning a car is a sure fire way to have a robbery around this place." Sting nodded he understood. You _couldn't_ own a car around here without sticky fingers all over it. One minute you have it and the next it's being sold to the pawnshop. "Do you want one of us to walk you there?" Sting asked as I shook my head. "You guys never explained why you had to hide in my house, which I will expect later, but still it's dangerous to bring you to a place where we sort through our documents." I explained slipping my shoes on as Sting nodded.

"I'm heading out now!" I called towards the backdoor as Sting explained that he would explain later and they would he'd be out till I got home. They had a place to be. I felt some worry brim in my heart well I couldn't just expect them to sit around in my house all day. I nodded and headed towards the firm. I walked pass the sidewalk where a majority of people on break were smoking up a storm. I smiled watching everyone run around happily and merrily. Well the best they could. "Celeste." Some greeted as I nodded, I was getting better at hiding things. I turned towards my work as I glanced up occasionally waiting for Cobra to approach me. Waiting for my interrogation on what I was hiding. That interrogation never came, I breathed a sigh of relief and worry at the end of the day. It turned out that Cobra hadn't even come into work today. That made me feel relieved and worried at the same time. I had felt reassurance with Cobra around at my night job, did that mean that he wasn't going to be there either? I felt my heart pound my mind flashing of the other girls in their jobs getting their clothes back on last night. Hands wrapped around my waist-I shook my head. That was my ground I had to be the dominant force there or I would hate myself even more than I did already for accepting the job.

I headed home towards the house as I entered it was empty, except for Sting's muddy footprints that I hadn't managed to notice while I was leaving but distinctly remembered they were there when I had left this morning. I sighed still walking as Rogue appeared out of nowhere. "Get dressed. I'm going with you tonight." He explained as I felt heat come to my face.

"No..no, no! You can't do that!" I shouted feeling heat rise to my face.

"Sting insisted, he thinks you're just doing an extra secretary job by the way."

"No! It's degrading!"

"Than why are you still doing it?"

"Fine! But if I get a certain position for the night you stay at the counter, the whole time!"

"Fine."

I paused before walking out as my hand was on the edge of the door. "Did you tell Sting?" I whispered as Rogue shook his head a displeased smile had already formed on his face as he tapped his finger possibly waiting to be able to go back outside once again. "Hurry up so I can go smoke." Rogue sighed seeming suddenly exhausted himself.

"That habits going to get you killed one day."

"This city will probably kill me first."

I sighed there was no way of fighting that one. I felt relief come to my chest as I crossed my fingers for the counter hoping my job wouldn't call me to switch into the other outfit I had worked last night. I was a waitress tonight. I headed towards my other room where I got changed into my waitress outfit, which was basically a really fancy and frilly maid dress that didn't even come past my knees. The sun was barely setting as I wondered if it would really be alright to bring Rogue into my job. I came out of the room fixing my wristlets as he glanced at me as if he were about to say something. "Not a word." I mumbled feeling red hit my face as the back door swung open. "Is Celeste home? I wanted to talk to her about us paying the ren-" Sting's voice shouted as he spun around closing the door and headed in here, his voice becoming cut off as he was staring at me. "Um." The blonde said as if he wasn't sure how to respond to such a situation.

"Cosplay night, they do an event every once in a while Celeste has been explaining to me."

"...and you're going as a maid?"

"Apparently she has weird fetishes."

I felt my face redden for the first time not because Sting was looking at me, and possibly my work uniform, but instead because Rogue had to bring in such word as "fetishes" it wasn't as if I dressed this way for fun. "Yes. And now I'm going to be late for work." I felt myself stutter as I strapped my heels wondering if their eyes were on me. I walked in the hall as Rogue and Sting begun conversing. "Not to be a party-pooper but after what happened yesterday...why didn't you tell her not to go out like that?" Sting grumbled as I made footsteps that sounded as if I were walking away. "It's not my problem." There was a silence which I expected it to be Sting giving "the" glare towards Rogue which wouldn't even phase him. "Did you tell her that she looks like something the big bad wolf might eat? You saw what she was wearing yesterday didn't you?" Sting grumbled it sounded as if he were making lunch in the kitchen. "If you feel like this why don't you tell her that she looks like that?" Rogue explained his reply being a sigh. "I'm just worried that the house we broke into is owned by an airhead, she'll get herself killed...and possibly us discovered." Sting explained as I kept walking.

"She's not stupid, she only pretends to be that way. It's apparently saved her life more than once." I heard the ruffling of papers before I opened the front door causing a chair to be pushed back, a goodbye to Sting, and several sounds of feet padding towards the front door. "Are you trying to leave without me?" Rogue asked he didn't sound hurt but the slightest bit of anger radiated off of him as he crossed his arms. "No." I sighed stepping outside with the clank of my heels against the metal of my front porch. "So how are we getting there?" Rogue asked as I glanced at him, another cigarette already in his hand, he probably wasn't going to be able to walk the speed I usually did. But at the same time I had already found out that he was much stronger than he actually looked, _especially _since he smoked. I expected him to be hacked over wheezing from those things by the time we got there. "When we get there, there's a certain room that's smokers only." I explained as he nodded seeming to understand. "It's a ten minute walk at my fastest pace, I would say this is going to be a fifteen to twenty minute walk." I explained as he nodded, I waited for a "we have some time to spare" but was slowly learning that those words of being relaxed would only come out of Sting.

I sighed and then headed down the road towards where I worked. Biting my lip occasionally wondering if Rogue would have an asthma attack or something from his constant switching of his cigarettes. "We aren't even going to make it there and he's going to be dead flopping around on the sidewalk." My mind whispered as I attempted to roll my eyes instead stopping myself with that pathetic picture of a him acting like a fish. If he was supposed to be my bodyguard tonight than I would have to put some fate in to him. A lot more than what he was currently getting as my "faith-in-him". I glanced back towards him as he pulled another cigar. _"Faith. Yeah right, he's going to be dead by the end of the week, if you're lucky enough that he makes it even threw the next hour." _I thought glancing at him feeling a sigh of utter defeat rumble its way up in my throat. If someone was really after me...than I was definitely doomed. We walked in separately, I was a couple seconds minutes ahead as Cobra handed me a plate. A frail smile on his face, "he's hiding something." I thought to myself wondering what it was. "Thanks." I smiled taking my trays and beginning my rounds. Everything went fine, and I hadn't even seen Rogue walk in once it was like he was hiding within the shadows somewhere that no one could see him. Everything went off without a hitch and I had even made it back to change the dishes a few times. "Break." I smiled heading off to the waiting room, passing the smoking room as I went, to see Rogue outside glancing between his pack of cigarettes and actually a pack of mint gum instead. "Go with the gum." I whispered walking up to him and pushing it towards him as he gave me this glance as if to say _"what would you know?" _I paused wondering if it would be okay to tell him what to do. I didn't know who he was and frankly he was a criminal. _You kissed the guy! Your first kiss! Tell him to use the gum! _I shook my head of the thought I wouldn't count something like that as a kiss. It was more of a warning. There were no feelings involved at all. That wasn't kiss. I felt myself slowly begin to flush as I realized I was staring and he wasn't saying anything. "Is something the matter? Is someone following you again?" He asked in a low tone as I had to shift my eyes back up realizing that he had changed outfits and was wearing a disguise that would hide his face, but barely. He would barely be recognizable to others I had hoped. Hopefully I only noticed because he was living in my house. "No." I smiled and waved it off as he gave me a look that I could only describe as doubt. "Are you sure? Because I've seen men watching you. Especially that man at the counter...are you sure?" Rogue explained as I felt myself flinch. Cobra was watching me? I felt myself bit my lip maybe they were using the same intention. "I think he just has the same intentions you do." I explained trying to make the situation easier as his hand tensed up around his shoulder, his hands had adjusted to cross his arms after choosing between the gum and the cigarette-he chose gum thankfully. "Intentions?" It almost sounded like a growl. I felt my heart sink. "_Okay. Intentions. Bad word, phrase it differently." _I felt my heart skip a beat wondering if that meant Rogue had different intentions than I thought he did. "Okay. Maybe not the same intentions. He just wants to protect everyone here, he's a-a good guy. He's been threw a lot." I explained as Rogue nodded slowly a strange look blooming in the back of his eye that I couldn't exactly decipher.

"Oh, look at the time. Back to work..I'll see you later, here eat my dinner." I said stuffing the bag I was carrying in his hand and turned back heading towards my job. I smiled picking up some trays, proceeding to wash them, and then return to making sure the guests weren't overly intoxicated, drunk, lying on the floor, or fighting continuously. I went to get another tray and menu from Cobra as suddenly a drink and sandwich was slammed on to the table. "Break time." He explained realizing I was giving him a weird look. "Not my break, get over here." He said as I nodded sitting on the chair. "I noticed you spent your entire break helping that customer." He explained as I shrugged. "Not much of a big deal really. Plus that was a one lane hall how'd you see that?" I asked as he shrugged going back to polishing some of the cups.

"I was on my way back from break." He said as I laughed rolling my eyes.

"We're both barely getting paychecks and your spending your's on me? I might have to have a chat with you-know-who." I giggled in reply as he shrugged glancing back towards me.

"It's not on me. Our boss said he was proud that you would take your time to take care of everyone in your own way."

I nodded knowing that would mean something else to the other's around here but to me...that was something special. The last remaining person connected to my parents. "I think I just came up with a goal." I whispered looking towards Cobra as he had a frail smile on his face.

"Not all ideas are good around here, you're going to have to share." He explained as I nodded.

"I think I'm going to find my family once again." That was the first of the two ambitions. The second ambition wasn't something I was ready to share with Cobra. Not just yet. The second ambition was to find the killer I had seen the other day and bring justice to him. I felt a little bit of pride bubble up in my chest. Well if this town was going to take all of our lives mine-as-well go out in a blaze of glory right? "That's going to be hard since you only know one family acquaintance." Cobra sighed as I nodded.

"But there has to be something somewhere about them right? A picture or something I could use for the missing people's report."

"Everyone around here is missing someone, you'll have to try a different route than that. That books so full of people you could sell it on the black market for more than drugs."

"Okay. I'm done." I smiled finishing up my drink of orange juice and salami sandwich. Cobra hadn't let me take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from this joint since he saw a television show where a girl had stuffed a highly common date-rape drug within peanut butter. And therefore, I no longer had my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. No one in this joint was allowed to have peanut butter anymore and Cobra now carefully checked all of the peanut butter jars at the store before they bought any. _They_ meaning Kinana and Cobra. "I'm lucky I have such a good big brother figure." I smiled looking towards him as he was working hard but not appearing it as he checked on all of the waitresses continuously. He was such a hard worker and no one even noticed. It was all for Kinana. I felt a giggle rumble in my throat with the temptation of teasing him but it was too late I had to return to work. I smiled, nodded, and stood up continuing gathering papers, checks, and bills, along with various other things that I didn't want to mention off of the tables. As someone walked up towards me. I turned around smiling hoping that it was a lost or confused customer. "Hey, you're pweetty." Oh gosh. It was a drunk. I was going to attract attention now. Everyone became nervous when the people got drunk within the red light district's pallor. "Pwetty pwincess come wit me, we go pwlay." He giggled as I backed up suddenly feeling a strong muscular arm around my waist. I turned expecting to see Cobra playing his "big brother" role. Instead it was Rogue glaring at the person to the point I was afraid the other man might've burned to the ground. "Don't touch her." The words came off him as a growl erupted threw his throat. "Why? Were you planning on taking her for yourself?" The drunk man said regaining his composure and standing up straight, slowly, but steadily. "And if I was?" I felt Rogue's grip suddenly wrap around my waist tighter, his eyes shooting like daggers with a dark coldness...like...like-like someone who's killed before. "Geez...man we're brothers here right? I'm sorry dude. I didn't know she was your chick." The-drunk-man-that-suddenly-wasn't-so-drunk begun backing off slowly as if he had met a predator that was higher within stature than him and was getting ready to run without being noticed. "Run." Rogue's voice came out in a mix between a grumble and a growl as the man suddenly high tailed it screaming. There was a long silence where I could hear Rogue's eyes checking the entire surrounding area, back to check me over that I was okay, back to the area. He had a reason for it, we had become the center of attention. Than suddenly there was a huge uproar and fist fulls of clapping. I let a sigh of relief slip out as Rogue slowly let go, nodded, and disappeared into the "shadows" once again.

Everything died down rather quickly and it was almost the end of the shift where Cobra was polishing the bottles once again and making sure everything was in order. I walked over to the bar and begun whipping it off so we would all go home quicker. It wasn't just get up and leave around here, that wasn't safe, instead it was all leave together. No one said it, but it still felt safer that way.

I had noticed Cobra was watching Rogue while polishing a glass anger brimming off of his eyes in waves of flames, as if somehow he knew Rogue from somewhere, or he just didn't like something that Rogue was doing. And that was saying something. I felt the slightest urge to glance towards Rogue wondering what it exactly was that he had done to urk Cobra of all people off. I shook my head, that was silly. Rogue even made a display of protecting me today so he'd probably be fine.

"Do you need a ride?" Cobra said in a tone that whispered _"I'm not playing, i'm onto your secret you better listen and come along quietly." _I gulped and wondered what he was up to. "Actually. No, I'm good. I actually walked here with a-a family acquaintance so we're going to head back that way." I explained as he nodded slowly, he didn't believe me. He knew that Clark, or Kent, or Clark was the **only** family acquaintance that I was referred to. I was so doomed by the end of the night. "Celeste. Take the keys and go get in the car." Cobra said holding the keys up as I glanced at them. He was using _thee _voice, the one he used when everyone was in danger to deal with the bad guys. The highly influential voice. "Cobra, I don't even know what your car looks like. Plus I promised that acquaintance we'd walk home together. It'll be fine." I smiled as he nodded slowly with the look that said "_you ain't off the hook yet missy." _I nodded then scurried away outside. Where I met Rogue.

"You ready?" He sighed chucking a cigarette into the trash as I showed up, it was so full of cigars I had no idea how many he had already burned through while I was helping Cobra. I bit my lips wondering if it would be okay walking back wondering if he was going to asthma attack the wonder emerging all over again. "Let's go." I said, walking ahead of him, heading straight towards me home...right past that dark alley I had seen the killer kill possibly one of my fellow workers the other night-bad idea. I glanced down the alley seeing the scene all over once again. That person was standing there a sly smile on their face, their silhouetted face, they had the figure of a teenage female. They swiveled their heads slowly turning it into a bizarre position as the smile spread a crossed their face "Weren't you here the other night too?" the laughed was cackled, muffled, and strange. As Rogue's footsteps suddenly quickened towards me hearing the extra voice. "Come here, pretty." The hand stretched out as Rogue side-swiped down the alley causing the murderer to jump up fleeing. "Stay there!" Rogue shouted before I could even move a foot forwards just leaving me with the mental momentum of beginning to run forwards where I wound up in the alley with the...the body of some person. I felt my eyes glance up towards the pool of darkened red leaking out throughout the alley. The body was about my age and height with the same hair color, the same eyes. The face was mutilated and bizarre as it oozed out internal fluids. _Close your eyes! Don't look! Close your eyes! _ I felt my breathing hitch as I saw a hand reach over towards it..no her, they were still a person as suddenly they begun moving. A half wrangled piece of flesh dripping off of their hands to the point I could see the bones moved reaching out for me as a bubbly intelligent voice struggled to speak. Gurgles coming out as I kicked away to the other wall, staring at her wide eyed. Cupping my mouth struggling not to scream. _Close your eyes dammit! _No I couldn't turn away from this. The worse part was when she finally made out some of the words in the english language I could feel tears at the edge of my eyes. "Help...me...It-it hurts." They whispered shaking at an incredible speed. That's when I finally lost it. "It...it...hurts...so...so...much...help."

I felt feet walk back towards my side dropping a glove in front of my face as suddenly someone was there in front of my face. I couldn't look, I couldn't. "Celeste. It's okay. Stop screaming, it's going to be alright i've already called 911." The voice sounded familiar, but it didn't make sense, nothing made sense at that current point in time. "Celeste. It's okay, you can stop screaming now." The voice continued. "_I'm screaming? No i'm not." _I thought as suddenly I felt something hit me in the back causing me to black out. "Oh great." Was my last thought into the darkness. "So this glove is from the killer?" Sting's voice echoed from the porch steps as one pair of shoes walked up it. "_Why am I not there?" _I thought looking into the darkness. That was it, probably what happened. "_I'm dead. That's the only answer. They had the perfect chance and excuse and someone to blame. Now I'm dead." _I thought thinking of death as suddenly I felt like puking. I felt my eyes spring open as I glanced around not sure where I was, I could feel the screaming start now. Things like that happened in this city. All the time. So often. But they didn't happen to me! I was the safe one! And now I was a witness first hand! "Dude, did she do that the whole way here?" Sting asked as Rogue set me slowly on the porch lowering me when he realized I couldn't stand. "It appears she doesn't realize she's screaming." Rogue explained as Sting nodded slowly. "I guess it happens. Like when your body moves when you didn't tell it." Sting sighed looking at me as I slowly shut up. Catching my breath. "Oh god...I'm dead. I'm dead." I said staring at my own hands covered in blood of another person as they dripped red darkening and drying to my hands the situation flashing over in my mind once again, I grabbed the opposite arms trying to suppress the shaking. I needed to distraction myself with something else.

"Oh god. Is she going to make it? Do we need to hire a therapist or get her out of the city?"

"No one around here is sane anyway."

"You make a solid point, but you said nothing against the getting her out of the city."

Rogue grinned his teeth glancing at Sting as if he had considered the situation.

"You think that might be a consideration?"

"Yeah."

"No. I n-need to f-find con-connections to my parents."

"You're so scared you can't even make a full sentence right now."

"I will. Give me a second."

"You've got 5 seconds before it becomes no longer your decision."

I glanced at Sting grabbing the railing of my porch and slowly getting up.

"5."

I managed to get my feet under myself once again.

"4"

I stood up a little bit straighter and stopped the screaming.

"3"

I let go of the railing and any support that either of them were offering

"2"

"I'm going to find my parents."

"1"

"And I'm going to put that murderer behind bars so that girl can sleep safely at night, especially in a city like this."

"Honestly I didn't expect you to get up."

This time it was Rogue talking, it had been mostly Sting before. I glanced towards him. "I am going to handle all of it." I explained looking at his eyes of doubt, he was standing over by the stairs while I was at the corner of my apartments staircase and Sting was blocking off the entrance to the house. "I don't want you doing something stupid." Rogue argued back as I rolled my eyes when finally it all burst out into absolute chaos we were all arguing. About what to do next, where to go, how much we actually knew about each other, and if this would be the safest decision to choose. Their main point seeming to me that I was apparently an idiot. "That's not what i'm saying! I'm saying that your night job is going to get you killed!" Sting argued threw his hands up in the air and headed back inside when I had called him a free-loader. It was Rogue's turn. He sucked in his breath realizing if anything was weighing on his chest he better get it out now.

"I see the way you look at us! What do I have to do to prove to you we aren't the bad guys?!"

"Kiss me."

"I have!"

"Kiss me for real! None of this trying to scare me off bullshit!"

"I have!"

I grabbed his face and stole a kis suddenly I pulled away, I didn't even know this person...why was I doing this?

"I-" He was about to reply when Sting came back out sighing, struggling with several cups in his hands as suddenly a panicked enraged voice interrupted us from our "heated debate" one that was all too familiar in stature. "Celeste! Get away from them! They're sabers!" Cobra shouted storming up the stairs as I backed away. "That's wrong right?" I whispered I was finally starting to trust everyone as Rogue looked away guilty. I felt my heart pound as my hand pressed to my chest. These two were hiding...because they were part of a gang, and not just any gang. They were in SaberTooth. The top ranking two of Sabertooth. And I had just kissed him. Rogue frowned looking at the opposite side of the stairs not even bothering with Cobra storming up the stairs at a rapid pace. "Rogue?" I whispered. Saber Tooth was the most dangerous and notorious gang within the entire city. I glanced towards the two who both avoided my gaze shameful looks on their faces. I glanced towards Rogue who now had blood on his face in the shape of my hands. Oh god the things Cobra was going to think when he got done ragging up the stairs. We were all so screwed. I glanced towards Cobra who got to the top of the stairs who shoved Rogue out of the way, obviously compiling to make sure not to upset this man anymore. "Oh god, Celeste. What the hell happened in the fifteenth minutes between work and now?" He asked his hands tempted to go and wipe the blood away. "Did either of you touch her?" Cobra growled it came off his voice in a slightly deadly manner as his eyes glew with that same glow he had when he first saw Rogue's presence within the pallor. "Nah man. It's good." Sting sighed putting the drinks down clearly not understanding Cobra's situation. "Should I go get another cup? Cuz it looks like it's going to be another long night." Sting grumbled heading back inside. "You drink coffee black right?" Sting asked getting the only response a glare.

"Fine I'll put cream in it, I didn't know that black coffee could offend someone."

Cobra ignored them turning towards me. "Oh god, Kiana's going to kill me. What happened? Are you being abused by these two?" I glanced up towards him knowing I probably didn't look well. I was covered in someone else's blood from face, to my arms, to my hands, and I had put that all over Rogue's face. I had practically framed him. "Are you being abused? Are they threatening you?" He whispered as I shook my head "no" he was so far off the track. I had actually felt safer with those two living in my house that I wasn't dead yet. "I'm asking you did either of you touch her?" Cobra growled looking at Rogue who hadn't answered.

"They haven't hurt me." I stuttered trying to get Cobra's attention which was nearly impossible as if he was afraid to break his gaze against Rogue.

"And what if I did? You aren't my problem."

I felt my breath hitch it was no time for Rogue to get arrogant of all places why now? I glanced towards Rogue feeling my heart skip a beat remembering the kiss from the other night. That was his fault, not mine. And I wound up yelling at him to stop. I felt Cobra move from my side still examining the blood everywhere.

"Stop! I touched him, right before you got here I forced a kiss he didn't want on him." I grabbed Cobra's sleeve as he gave me a look that was asking "_why would you defend a creep like this?"_

"Nonsense. Yesterday I shoved her up against the wall and forced a kiss on her right before work."

Rogue seemed to be radiating with the ideal of a death threat sounding fun. "Well Rogue are you in the mood to get yourself killed tonight or something?" Sting asked opening the door. "He's obviously baiting you man." Sting sighed handing Cobra one of my coffee cups. "Well everyone's looking pretty trashed out here." Sting sighed, the only one keeping a cool head as he glanced between everyone. I glanced towards him wondering what someone put in his drink, he was the type that I'd think he'd lose it immediately. "Ya know man, I guess you knew already. My gangs important to me. But Rogue and I we're in a position if we don't wanna kill we don't. It just works that way. I've already dealt with our personal affairs with things such as _that."_ Sting sighed helping me inside as we walked further in the house. Apparently that was all that was needed as the other two followed us in glaring daggers at each other all the way. We were all screwed. I looked towards the door still swinging open. "Idiots! Shut the door!" Sting shouted as Rogue's eyes went wide and he did a complete 360 degree spin which in turn made Cobra take a stance wondering if he was under attack until he noticed Rogue sliding every single one of my locks on that door. "Some serious shit went down tonight." Cobra stated, it was more like a statement than a question as he realized that he was being pulled inside by Sting's actions for an explanation. "First things first-" Sting begun, the only one sitting, as Rogue threw some gloves on the table causing Sting to stutter and glance towards them knowing that Rogue usually didn't take unnecessary actions.

"This...looks like bosses's gloves..."

**Author's note: ****The television show Cobra watched was N.C.I.S I just threw that in there as I remembered because I was originally going to make the sandwich peanut butter and jelly. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The place was dark and strange. "_How'd I get here?" _I thought my heels clicking forwards throughout wherever I was. "Anyone out there?" I asked without any regard to who might've been watching instead I simply didn't want to be alone. "_It's always been different. With at least one person at my side I felt the slightest bit safer." _I thought looking down alleys, the city was strange at night. All of the lampposts had been taken out for fun or for a dire purpose that wasn't something I was willing to discover. I felt the picture of that girl flash in the back of my mind, a shiver run up my back. _"She's going to be okay. She's going to be okay." _I whispered to myself feeling my arms grab for my own elbows on their own. I forced my feet to move forwards. "_Who's going to save you? You're completely alone! Your parents didn't even say goodbye just walked out, right on out said here's an apartment and a job in the red light district you'll do fine there!" _I felt a shiver run up my spine realizing it was the truth. "_No. They left more than other people's parents left. Just think about Cobra. Cobra's parents left him debt and threw him to the gangs. You've got so much more than others around here do." _I felt a shiver even though the heat was finally getting to me as I stumbled around in the street. "Which way is home?" I whispered glancing up towards the sidewalk. "_But who's going to help you when you need it?" _A voice whispered slyly within my head. I felt a shiver run down my back. I hadn't exactly made the best of friends within school. I was scared of everyone. My first thoughts looking at someone coming down the hallways wasn't _"I wonder if their children of someone in a gang." _It was: "_Gee, I wonder which gang they belong too." _And the sad part is, you sometimes found out. The hallways had become a place for mafia vs gang wars which eventually caused me to quit school. And now I was working a double job and barely paying for my apartment. I sighed and continued clicking thru the city as I ironically came a crossed the school. Lights shut out, windows broken, no door, just as I remembered it. Just because the lights were off didn't mean no one was home. I turned and begun heading the other way.

As suddenly white pasty fingers curled around the edge of the next building over a blob pulling itself forwards. It had a humanoid figure but it's arms trailed down to the ground longer than its own stubby feet as it pulled itself forwards moaning. I glanced towards the face it was a giant oval with a sideways mouth that contained spiked teeth that were rotting and turning brown with yellows mixed within it. I glanced towards it as it trailed towards me walking straight up the sidewalk towards where I was standing. "Help!" I screeched turning and running, that was stupid I should've acknowledged that in this city going to help the person screaming was practically signing a death wish and your life away at the same time. "It's a monster! Sort of wrangled flesh monster, with spikes...someone!" I shrieked hoping one of the more insane members would come out hoping to "play with a new toy", no one came. I felt my breath hitch glancing at the sidewalks. They were uneven, everyone refused to fixed them, even during the day this city was too dangerous to even be bothered with something like that. Something that felt like...snakes...wrapped its way up my ankle as I was pulled down to the ground being dragged backwards where the monster was already munching. "_Hey do you like the monster I built?" _A giggly voice giggled, just behind the hooded figure was the edge of the railing entrance to the school. "I really like him." They giggled as I kicked struggling to get free digging my nails into the concrete. "I need you, play with me for a bit? You see he's not exactly done yet. He needs eyes and hazel eyes? They're just so pretty!" The hooded figure smiled getting down reaching for my eyes with their knife as a flash of blonde and raven hair flashed in my mind. _"There's someone who might help you." _I screeched and kicked and screeched some more hoping they could hear me, they could always hear me. Minutes passed as the hooded feminine figure stood there, a small smirk on their faces, as if they **knew **that no one would show up to save me from the monster that was pinning me to the sidewalk-

I turned over hearing a screeching sound in my ear. "I wish it would stop." I thought to myself as suddenly I was covered in a frigid feeling from head to toe.

"Stop that you're going to drown her!"

"Jeeze Rogue why so early in the morning?"

I could feel a stinging feeling forming in the shape of a hand on my face as the ice scattered around me. "_I can't breathe!" _I thought reaching a hand up as someone grabbed my wrist tugging me up with such force as I opened my eyes I was being pulled out of the tub and into the arms of Rogue. "You're going to be okay." He whispered as I glanced up towards him completely confused. "What happened?" I whispered staring towards him as he flinched backwards as if I didn't recognize something that was happening. "Nothing." He grumbled and headed out of the room while Cobra in the doorway tossed me a towel. I looked towards myself realizing that I was soaked from head to toe. "When you started screaming before no one knew what to do and we couldn't get you to wake no matter what we tried. So he came in here and begun running the tub, we figured at first it was him drowning the noise out...you know quiet guy you think he likes the quiet so he was trying to tune it all out ya know? Well nope. Instead we realized it when he came back and flung you into the tub." Cobra shrugged as I nodded slowly, he had stayed over night after calling Kinana of course saying something that work problems had come up, I felt a strange feeling in my throat. Even a guy like Cobra has some things to hide. Well he had a reason to hide something involving _SaberTooth_ from _Kinana_. I felt a bit of momentary guilt wash over me before I pushed it aside. "What were you thinking about anyway?" He asked as I glanced towards him. "How long have I been screaming?" I whispered as Cobra shrugged.

"About a little under two hours."

"_That means three or four hours." _I glanced up towards him as he glanced away mumbling something about going to make coffee for everyone before we began our long discussion. It was still dark outside.

"So. Your SaberTooth's." Cobra said looking a crossed the table towards them.

"We've been over that." Sting said, the discussion had proceeded with this circle from the night before where everyone just became exhausted and went to bed...er their respective couch(es). Probably staying up all night to make sure they didn't "accidentally" stab each other. "Yeah that'd be a tragedy." Sting had mumbled once still not getting the point.

"I can't just leave her here with you, respectively her parents have left her in my care."

"Meaning you were the only guy around or just not dead yet."

"Aren't you afraid they're going to kill you?" Cobra asked as it was my turn to shrug.

"I'm fine, I have leverage."

"Like how?"

"They can't cook."

A line of laughter appeared on Cobra's face he probably thought I was an insane idiot my only leverage over them being food. "That's all you've got. And you're keeping these two that are more than likely murders within your house. Why didn't you tell me?" His voice went from laughter to utter disappointment. "If the problem is just being in the house, why don't I just leave?" Sting asked getting up and dragging Rogue out. "Hey! I'm not going anywhere!" Rogue rebelled as Sting whispered quickly. "We'll be right back as soon as this guy leaves." Rogue glared towards Sting as if not liking the idea of even pretending to back down against Cobra. "I'm _not leaving,_not when some psychotic killer can burst in the back door any minute." Rogue growled as Cobra glanced up. "That's normal, in a city like this, totally normal." Sting managed to smile.

"No. I refuse." Rogue said managing to escape Sting's grip and stand within the hallway as Sting walked out. "Is there something you're hiding from me?" Cobra asked as I nodded slowly.

"I-I saw a murder the other night...and then w-when it happened again they recognized me." I explained feeling my hands tighten around my skirt's hem. Cobra glanced towards his hands. "Why didn't you trust me? I could've handled this. What even happened?"

"On that night I came home and these two were moving around the house."

"And you didn't call me?"

"I-I, they'd practically made themselves at home already, it just felt wrong in some ways to kick them out."

Cobra gave me an unsatisfied with my answer frown. "But Cobra, listen to me its my judgement-" I started explaining as Sting came in a red letter in his hand. That was unusual I hadn't had mail in, well since I received the apartment. The apartment never got any letters. "What is that?" I whispered turning towards him with this shaking hands a picture on top of the envelope as he threw everything down on to the table. "We're all being watched." Sting explained. The papers scattered along the table that we had to moved to while talking. I glanced through the pictures, there was one of me, one of Sting and Rogue talking that one was Sting trying to pull Rogue in from smoking of course, and the next one contained a pretty young woman that was about my age with bottle blonde hair. It was a pretty shiny white, she had a smile unlike any other within this barren wasteland of a city. "Who is she?" I whispered getting no reply as Sting pulled out some more papers opening the words. He grinded his teeth slightly before deciding to read it all out loud figuring that would be easier than passing around the paper.

"_Dear residents of this lovely little seemingly safe apartment, _

_There are three pictures in here. Important to you, yes? I'd like to think so. Well lemme tell you something! Those women were __**very**__ close acquaintances of mine. Now either we're going an eye-for-an-eye over here or we're going to work our way around this. Starting now. You've got the evidence, and you better start working because lemme tell ya something? You better find whoever killed my "friends" by the end of the week. K'? I hope you know what an eye-for-an-eye means ya know? I lost __**two**__ of my female friends, now if you don't get working you're going to lose __**two**__ of your friends. __**Each.**_

_Your humble acquaintance, _

_Find the murderer_

_p.s. that's two of your friends for every day that you're late pass next week. And everyday that I don't see progress."_

Sting paused folded the letter and stuffed it back in the envelope after making sure it was entirely empty. "Guess that makes you a chip in this game now." Rogue sighed glancing towards Cobra who looked slightly tense-er than normal. "Go home to Kinana, just pretend this was a normal visit." I whispered as he gave me a look that said he wasn't pleased. "Talk. On the porch first." Cobra sighed as I nodded glancing towards the two teens who were staring at me. "I'll be right back. Go on without me." I explained and followed Cobra to the porch, where he placed his hands on the railing without turning right and walking down, instead he was staring into an open view of the disaster of a city. "You've started liking one of them haven't you." Cobra sighed as I shrugged. "They aren't exactly evil, I guess they're okay friends." _Cobra now thinks you're an overly trusting idiot. _"...Not what I meant." I blinked up at him trying to feign being as innocent and confused as possible. "You _like-like _one of them. I don't know who yet! But I can see it..Gosh Celeste, how'd you get in this deep so stupidly?" Cobra sighed running his hands threw his hair aggravatedly. He was mad. I could see it. It was echoing loudly in his eyes, taking forever and a patience of a million men for him not to go back within that room and tear them both limb-from-limb simply to make his point that they should quit SaberTooth. And soon. "Wait...WAIT! No n-not like that! I mean they broke into my h-house o-one day and well they they were just there since ya know?" The explanation sounded poor and broken as Cobra scoffed. "Silly little girl. Is this your first love?" Cobra teased messing with my hair as I glared at him. _Definitely the "big-brother" figure. _As suddenly his smile melted. "There's something I've got to tell you when you're older. Please...wait till your older to force me to tell you." Cobra sighed and then walked down the stairs. I felt my mouth open to yell at him I wanted to know now as the thought occurred that it could be about my parents instead my mouth dried as if I was afraid to know. "Get some sleep." He smiled followed by a wink.

"Cobra! It's not like that!" I shouted feeling heat run down my face.

"First love!" He teased as I felt my heart pound in embarrassment.

"NO! I mean I had a crush or something like that in school or something!"

"A crush or something!" He laughed as I turned around slamming the door to make my point, letting him walk off into the slight dusting of the morning. That wouldn't last much longer, it was supposed to rain today.

Walking back into the room the two looked up and then back down towards the table. "You waited?" I asked as they both shrugged.

"We voted that this was your house so you were going to be part of the conversations too."

"Didn't we already explain that?"

"We need to talk to boss." Rogue sighed as Sting looked up towards Rogue.

"You're kidding right? I don't want to do that." Sting whined as Rogue shrugged looking away.

"We've got to get someone to protect Yukino."

"We're a gang! That's not going to help her! She's a normal office secretary, from the **kind-of-good** part of the city!"

"Yukino's a childhood friend though, what else can we do?"

The two persisted something that seemed like a mix of an argument and a debate until I slowly spoke up. "Who's this boss you guys are talking about?" I muttered glancing towards them as they both acknowledged me, slowly, as if they had forgotten I was even sitting at the "debate" table. "Okay, first we need a plan." I sighed pulling out a notebook with all of the notes jotted on to it.

"Why?"

"I don't want to die, and you? You don't want your friend in danger."

"S-she's not a f-friend, she's an acquaintance." Sting rebelled a pink hue lit his cheeks as I nodded slowly, not believing him for a minute. There was something different about this girl, was she special in some sort of way? Was she smart? I wasn't very street smart but I was book smart, that would have to mean for something at least right. I was smart enough with my books that I could turn them into street smarts. She was definitely pretty, I had an average face. She had something...that made her stick out like an angel, glowing even within this entire town. "It's because Yukino's innocent." Rogue explained as I looked down at the picture. _How innocent? _Innocent around here was petty theft and struggling to find your own way to survive. "I know what you're thinking. How can anyone like that find a way to survive like, _that_, around here." Sting picked up the conversation as I looked at the two. "We don't know, but someone like that...It just makes you want to protect them you know?" Sting said his hands in his pockets looking at the roof. "How innocent?" I finally said even I had robbed a couple grocery stores within my day.

"She's never even committed a crime around here. She steps over the bugs in the office to make sure not to kill them, and thinks its okay to leave the front office windows drawn." Rogue explained as I heard a gasp come from myself. This girl wasn't just innocent she was oblivious and a danger to herself. "She's not stupid, she's pretty smart. We don't even know how someone in this city can still live here." Sting grumbled.

"Have you tried to get her out of the city?"

"Several times, she won't go, says she has to take care of the elderly and donate to the local charities she's always worried about the way they're looking."

I nodded slowly, this must've been some kind of inside joke that I wasn't quite understanding. There was no way someone like that could live in a place like this. I would just have to play along and slowly discover that they weren't mad men. "Okay, now that evil plan as Cobra so desperately insisted that we were plotting." Sting begun as my head swung around towards them. "Evil plan? You can't be serious!"

"We were actually plotting?" Rogue's voice surprised me more than anything as if there was a plan to begin with. "Guys! I know things are serious at the moment but do you have to take everything overly seriously?" Sting said a disappointed look on his face as I left out a sigh of relief. He was joking. "So what happens is that we were actually undercover double agents for the police department, we signed up with a deal that has to do with certain immunities as long as we kept everyone in check you know hopefully not murdering anyone and if they did handle them ourselves. So we have inside connections to the police that'll be a start." Sting explained as I let a smile come to my face, that was the cleverest of "jokes", well more of a story, I had heard in a long time. "You guys are part of the worst gang in this entire city, I'm not letting you pull another joke over my head like that." I let a small laugh come out. This city was bad but there was no way they'd let them work as police officers-

"I'm afraid this time he's not joking." Rogue explained as my smile fell.

"This whole town is screwed isn't it?"

"Pretty much." Was the answer as they begun to resume the work of evidence spread out on the table as Sting brought out a map.

"We're going to presume the guy we're after is the same guy you guys saw on the way home." Sting explained making another X as I shrugged. "_Sure why not? Its not like murder happens all the time in this city." _I thought to myself looking at the blue X compared to the red X's. The red X would stand for before they came to my house while the blue would be an afterwards color. "That man...er, or woman, knows who we are. That's why they sent a threat to the police station and had us hide."

"Wait! You guys are in my house not because of gang business-"

They nodded.

"-but because of police business?" Everything that I had thought up to that point was starting to become blurry and confusing. Especially since it was blurry and confusing while being made on based assump-hypotheses.

"A little bit of both I guess."

"We don't have anyone we could turn to...that _already_ knew how we lived-that would be safe."

"Pretty much" Sting made another X while talking as he paged through some sort of report.

"I found this abon-not-so-abandoned complex for us to live."

"And that's where I came in?" I asked as Rogue nodded in reply, no words were available as they continued working. Sting making X's and Rogue double checking each place, with what I presumed to be a detailed report of the "incidents" in his hand. I glanced at the floor and around the room. The place didn't look too bad, how could they have even mistooken this place for abandoned? Rogue drew a circle around the house that we were with. "It's where we are now." Rogue explained as his finger traced back to my workplace and then several streets down. "Okay if we presume this murderer is the same one that you saw he would be around your job where was that agai-" Sting begun as he was suddenly cut off by Rogue.

"I've got all sightings that will pertain to Celeste." Rogue explained grabbing another color as I begun making what we would probably eventually call a key as I shrugged. _"What could go wrong?" _I thought to myself looking towards him. Gosh did he look...kind of beautiful deep in concentration. I shook my head. Stupid Cobra. That wasn't what I should be thinking at a time like this. I should be thinking about how to survive, how to hide, and how to escape. All of that is what I should've been thinking about. Why'd he have to put such a confusing thought in my head? I glanced up towards them. They both had glowing eyes and didn't look that half bad for being around here-_"Cobra I'm going to strangle you next time I see you." _I glanced back towards them, my vision becoming clear again. These two were going to disappear right after they were done with whatever went wrong. I felt a frown press itself to my face, something that would have relieved me a little less than a week ago now worried me. _"You don't want to be alone. That's your only worry." _I thought to myself.

They both glanced at me then back at the map causing me to notice their bloodshot and purple underlinings within their eyes. "Oh gosh. No one got sleep. Was that because of me?" I asked tempted to snatch the marker but fearful of making an unnecessary mark upon the paper. "Actually no. We've been taking turns guarding the house." Sting explained as Rogue crossed his arms and leaned on the couch looking out the window. "We should probably go meet this boss of yours first." I mumbled something just felt right at the moment in time, about doing that.

"Alright...let's work on that...where'd you say the phone was?" Sting asked standing up the chair making creaking sounds as he stood up. "It's in my room." I said as he nodded heading that way apparently for a private conversation. I glanced out the windows staring between the cracks. "_When did a home become a prison?" _My mind whispered as I imagined bars lining the windows. The bars that no one was ever sure if they were there to keep something out, or in. Just like a prison. Images flashing behind my eyelids. _"No honey. You don't need to remember, not right now." _My mother's voice whispered as I pushed and pulled for my memories. "I want them though." I whispered trying to find something to reminisce in something that I could hold onto. I shook my head awakening myself once again. I glanced towards Rogue who had apparently taken comfort in the fact that I was watching out the window and fell asleep within his chair. Arms crossed, head down, set frown, fingers twitching. "I wonder what can depress a guy to that point where he's throwing his life away at not even eighteen? Maybe nineteen." I thought looking towards his twitching fingers. Maybe...maybe if he didn't smoke so often..I might've noticed him sooner. The shining gleaming hair it was as if he paid special attention to it, the glowing eyes hidden behind the malice and guise of this world. I glanced back out the window feeling heat cover my face. Cobra was going to get it next time I saw him. I glanced back out the window watching someone walk down the street. My heart pounded. As I glanced back out the window watching someone walk down the street: with a knife in hand. I curled my hand around the couch that I had moved to, my left hand was propping my face up elbow on the arm while my right was curled around the couch. "Breath, chill. Its just someone walking down the sidewalk." I thought staring out at this person...who kept on walking. I let out a staggered breath as Sting set down a cup of coffee, some form of other drink by Rogue, and some sprite for me.

"Figured we'd all need the caffeine."

"How'd you know I hate coffee?"

"Didn't, just concluded it from having to pick it up myself. Also I figured there were two 2-liter bottles of sprite in the fridge and figured hey _she might need this, _after being woken up by being thrown into a freezing cold tub and all." Sting shrugged grabbing his coffee with a quick glance towards his brother. "Aren't you going to wake him up?" I asked as he shrugged.

"He's not smoking right now. Its easier than watching him drain his life away all day long." Sting explained as I glanced towards him once again. I nodded slowly. It was strange in a city like this where you had to fight for your life. To watch a guy take out a small little piece of paper and take it from himself, slowly, and repeatedly each and every single day. "What could have happened to make a guy like that at his age?" I said glancing from the window back to him.

"That's a story for another time. He must really like you being able to hand you his cigarettes so easily earlier and also falling asleep in the same room without even faking it?" Sting said the coffee mug pressed to his lips the whole time as I glanced back at him.

"It's probably just exhaustion." I fibbed wishing there was a part of me wishing he was right.

"No. He doesn't get like that. He doesn't even hand me his cigarettes. Its a sign of trust."

"A sign of trust that kills...fascinating." I sighed looking towards Rogue realizing I probably should've been jumping with joy but instead...that sign of trust...made me feel sad. As if he wasn't ready to let go of that object.

"Do you like my brother?"

There was a silence that filled the room as I gazed over them both. Certainly they were both beautiful and kind in their own way...but...

"What's the point of falling for someone when you're both just going to disappear again anyway? You won't be here anymore when you finally figure out the problem."

A small frown appear on Sting's face as he twitched it forcing it into a smile. I glanced away, I didn't want to see either of their sad faces...they were the only company I had.

"Good." Was the only reply I received.

They were going to disappear just like my parents. "What's the plan?" I asked as he shook his head. "We wait for a call back." Sting explained as I nodded staring out the window that kind of sounded stupid I wanted him so badly to say that we were already moving. "Get some sleep. It's my turn anyway." He said as I shook my head.

"It's my place, I live here too. I can defend it." I explained as a strange smile twitched upon his face. I wondered what that meant. Did he think I could defend the house on my own? I bit my tongue pulling myself back from engaging in battle with him as he stretched out on the couch kicking his legs out and placing one on top of the other throwing his head back. "I'll probably wake someone up if I can't handle it." I explained as he nodded and suddenly he was out like a light.

"That's unexpected." I blinked towards the two sleeping as if they hadn't slept in days. Normally they wouldn't of done that, something just told me that they wouldn't of been out so quickly and easily on any normal day. "I wonder if they live anywhere." I thought to myself glancing out the window once again towards the territory of the moon and the lunar gangs. This was neutral zone for the both of them where they agreed they wouldn't announce who they belonged to. I glanced down the street wondering if anyone was about to start coming out and running off to work. I had off today luckily. It would've been a great opportunity to relax or fill the fridge again. I stood up out of the tangle of six feet making it just Sting's and Rogue's left. They had someone they wanted to go back to. Maybe more than one someone, I opened the fridge slowly betting that it was almost entirely empty, shocked to find it filled to the brink once again. A little yellow note left next to the eggs.

"_Sting & Rogue_

_Went out and got some food. Please cook dinner sometimes._

_~Us"_

The note was obviously written by Sting. I felt a smile come upon my face they were silly writing their names twice. Rogue probably had looked at it and shrugged thinking nothing was wrong with the note itself. So the fridge was full in exchange for dinner. That didn't seem half bad. Who was I to complain? I walked over towards the cabinets pulling out some pancake mix, I would make some in the morning. I walked back towards where the guys were completely asleep. _"How long do you think they've stayed up all night staring out that window?" _I thought to myself drawing the curtains on the front door, making sure it was locked, and heading back to sit next to the window with the closed curtains. This was going to be a long night. A long peaceful one. I glanced towards the windows eyes tracing the streets wondering if I should invest in getting a streetlight for my block or at least a small carry on flash light. Made of steel. It was the perfect carry on weapon that no one would be suspicious of. I smiled slightly listening to the clock tick by as suddenly a heavy object was placed on my back. It wasn't dangerous just heavy and warm. I glanced out of the corner of my eye. "My turn." He whispered as I nodded slowly moving towards the couch out of the chair near the window-as the phone started ringing-"Friend of yours?" He asked standing up and heading towards it as I shook my head "no" causing a slower motion to be kept upon Rogue. "I think its the person that Sting called before." I said through my slurred sleepy words as Rogue nodded his pace becoming the complete opposite as he picked up his pace becoming more rapid than normal, which wasn't a great feat, simply so he could answer the phone. I heard the quick click of the phone followed by a quick "hello?" a few words I couldn't understand passed between the two of them. "No. He's sleeping on the couch." More silence.

"I know. We're staying somewhere safe."

Silence. I waited impatiently eavesdropping to their conversation wondering what was going on at that current moment in time. "Of course." I plopped my head back on the couch just simply listening in wasn't getting me anywhere. I glanced towards Sting who seemed to be suddenly awakening from his sleep apparently to take his shift. I didn't want to switch, not if I had to see _"that" _all over again.

Sting looked up towards me slowly as if he had been pondering something strange within his own dreams as he begun to speak. "Are you absolutely positively sure you're going to be okay once the both of us leave?" I nodded slowly, confusedly.

"Without your parents? Cobra's a great guy...but he can't _always _be around." Sting explained something obviously troubling him within his own eyes. Silence crossed the room as I looked towards his face wondering exactly what he was thinking that it had taken the point to waking him up. "I'm totally fine." I smiled waving my hand. I had them to begin with...but, they would disappear once they were done with whatever they had to do here. I felt my smile drop as suddenly my hands moved on their own forming into fists as I beat on his chest. "Why? Why did everyone leave me behind?! Am I something that easy to forget about!? Why in a place like this!? I've seen in books, in movies! There are safer places than this! Why leave me here!" I screamed feeling the stream of tears pour down my face. "Why did everyone abandon me?" I whispered trying to pull myself away from Sting. It wasn't fair. That I was pouring my heart out like this when I had only known him for barely even four days. And I barely knew him. As I felt a warm pressure around my back and on my head. "It's going to be okay. We're going to find them." He whispered. He had _known_ all along what I was really afraid of. I felt my heart pound as my tears still came rushing out, full of confusion, hurt, and possibly lies. "What if something's happened to them? What if they've been kidnapped by a gang or something and a-are being held for ransom or worse...or someone out on the street found them and they're a play toy for some random psycho murderer now?" I stumbled over my words trying to find what I really wanted to say as Sting's hand was braced within my hair. "None of that is going to happen. We're going to find them, and they're going to be on a Disney trip or something." Sting explained as I nodded slowly. "If that happens I think then I'd be pissed." I whispered as I felt a small laugh vibrate from Sting's chest. "Well I guess it's better than the other situation" He explained as I nodded hearing a coughing coming from down the hall as Rogue's footsteps re-approached the room. "We're going to find them too." Sting sighed as I nodded slowly wondering how much I could trust them within keeping that promise. I pulled away from him slowly trying to hide the tears in my eyes suddenly feeling a wash load of embarrassment echo over myself. It wasn't even two in the morning and I was already embarrassing myself. Not once but twice.

"Boss called." Rogue said from the hallway as Sting turned to him with a look on his face that said what he was about to say. "And what'd she need?" Sting asked obviously already knowing since he had called her in the first place. Rogue glanced over the both of us as if pondering his words for several more moments before he decided to speak again. The several seconds of silence felt like minutes that was pouring into hours as we stared wondering why we needed so much tension to be built up within the room that was already overflowing with the tension of the morning and the previous days. "Boss wants to see us." Rogue explained as Sting shrugged.

"That's normal when we finally call her." Sting smiled as if they rarely stopped in to see their boss. Rogue sighed in reply as if Sting was too oblivious to get the point. "_All of us." _

Sting's smile fell.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

And so that was that. We were standing in front of their "**boss"**. I glanced at this girl. There was no way she could've been a little older than me. She even looked slightly younger than me especially with a smug look on her face that showed that she knew more than me in this current situation. I glanced over the girl wondering how much I could really trust her. She had ripped up jeans, a black and white striped shirt with a skull on it, a bandana in her hair covered in skulls, heavy boots that probably weren't the best for getaways especially with their dangling chains, a couple black bracelets, a skull necklace, **one** glove on, and a black vest covering her. It was the closest to formal that anyone was going to get around here. "So are you done examining me?" She asked as I nodded slowly. I must've been staring in awe or maybe even wonder feeling my heart pound as I realized that I was slightly embarrassed that I had been caught making sure to examine her and see if she was safe or not.

"Well that's great! Well boys?" She asked turning to them.

"Well what Amanda?" They asked in unison. I felt myself flinch this must've been a cover boss or something. Last I had heard their boss was Minerva or her father. And man did they flaunt that they were the boss of SaberTooth wanted it written all over the city. And then some. Maybe broadcasted. It only showed how powerful those two really were. They actually encouraged the other gangs to come after them to show how powerful they truly really were. I made a mental note to myself to stay out of this part of the city without Sting and Rogue. "Well...you guys go out and find the daughter of the Lunar-Star Clan and can't even bother introducing her? This could be a really great or really bad thing!" Amanda sighed obviously trying to think ahead as I titled my own head. "I'm not the daughter of any kind of clan. I barely get by." I explained unsure how she could mistake me for the daughter of the clan that ranked second in money as Amanda laughed seeming to see something as a joke that I obviously didn't quite understand or at least get at the moment. "Funny, but I already researched it...Oh wait I get it! That's because the Lunar-Star Clan split up and became the Lunar gangs and Star gangs...how could I forget that, that couple had a falling out! So which side are you on?" She asked as I looked at the boys who were giving me strange looks. "I'm not...My parents aren't gang members...much less their leaders." I attempted to explain as their leader "Amanda" seemed to be slightly confused as she gazed over the other two that were standing behind me with deepening frowns set upon their faces. I pulled myself away from the idea of telling her that my parents weren't even around, there was a possibility that she could find some way to take advantage of that. And I didn't want to give her that capability.

"That's not what we came here for." Sting sighed finally as the two stepped in front of me so they could get a better conversation with Amanda. "You seem to have lost something." Sting explained as Rogue put the glove upon the table, it was an exact match to the other glove that she was wearing. "Oh thank goodness! I lost that in a fist fight, the loser took it claiming it as a prize and has been flaunting it all over town about how they won against Saber-Tooth." She smiled beginning to pick the glove up and slip it back on. As one of the boys caught her wrist. "I suggest you don't touch that, it's being brought in as evidence against the murderer we're tracking." Sting explained as she nodded slowly, curiosity brimming within her eyes. As she begun to speak, hesitantly but her eyes were brimming with anger as if someone had betrayed her. Or at least her rules for the gang. "Is it one of our's doing this?" She asked as the boys shrugged which would've been an 'I don't know yet' as everyone turned their attention back to the speaker. "That would be such a downer." Amanda complained her other hand obviously looking for something behind her.

"Well, I best be going now, I've got a meeting today over the border in the northwest." Amanda complained finally finding what she wanted as I felt my heart pulse waiting for her to pull out a gun, instead within her hand was a long katana sword with a pretty blue ribbon on it. It wasn't exactly the suggested pocket weapon. Nor was it the suggested weapon for this city. I felt myself wonder how she _**wasn't**_ dead yet making deals with a katana instead of a gun. "Do you want our assistance?" Rogue asked slowly as if he was treading carefully on some water. "Nah. I think it'll be pretty easy, plus if I bring you two along I think that'll be more of demanding instead of negotiation, even if things get rough I can insist that I wasn't doing such a thing because I didn't bring you two." Amanda smiled towards them as they looked towards each other with words only they could understand within their eyes. "I'll swing by early tomorrow morning to make sure there was no casualties." Sting sighed as Amanda nodded. "We're leaving." Rogue whispered as we all turned and left quickly out of the makeshift tent. This obviously wasn't their permanent base. It was possibly only a base for messages to go to their boss also. I thought everything over quickly ignoring it. As I glanced back one more time wondering if she was in the position that she was describing to me herself. Maybe she was the daughter of two gang members who had split up and she was just trying to tell me. Maybe that's how she had wound up in this position where she was leading a gang and barely younger than me. Or maybe not. I glanced towards her face as she pulled out another bandana. Lit in the slightest pink hue watching as Sting left. "She likes him." I thought to myself and turned around and continued walking. No that wasn't it. That was too easy I barely knew this girl. She was probably baiting me with something. Trying to lure me into a trap of saying it. She was testing me that was definitely it. She saw me look back and now she wanted to know if I honestly believed her. I looked forwards once again as we continued walking. "What did that accomplish?" I sighed once we got outside getting a cloak suddenly stuffed within my hands from Rogue. "Put it on." Sting growled as I nodded slowly and confusedly putting the cloak on as Rogue reached over and threw the hood up. "What's the matter?" I whispered looking towards them they usually acted strange. Mostly depressed, thinking, or confused strange. But this strange? It was just plain strange.

"If Amanda mistook you for the daughter of that warring clan right now..." Sting begun explaining cutting himself off as he seemed to realize something as he got his own cloak on so it wouldn't look weird. "There are plenty of others who will do the same." Rogue finished as I nodded slowly. The two clans were pretty famous, although not as famous as SaberTooth, they were still something that everyone didn't want to bother with since their civil war was said to be getting pretty bloody. "What will that mean for me?" I asked slowly, it was so obvious I should've known, maybe I was hoping for a different answer out of their mouths. "People are going to come after you once they start thinking you're her." Sting growled as the rain started pouring down making the world become darker. Matching our cloaks luckily now they looked like rain jackets instead of suspicious people walking throughout the streets. I glanced at the ground then back at the one who was walking in front of me. "Isn't the girl from the LunarStar Clan still around? Why would everyone come after me?" I whispered as Rogue and Sting both cast me an ominous look. "Thats the problem...the girl from the LunarStar clan disappeared right after her parents breakup."

"Some say she doesn't even know her parents broke up."

"This isn't fair!" I stopped myself that sounded so childish. Nothing was fair in this city. Not that I was stuck out here without my parents and a case of mistaken identity. Not that these two boys were only trying to protect those important to them and wound up part of a gang. Not that Cobra received his only reward for trying to protect Kinana was a scar a crossed his face. Fair wasn't a word within this city. I looked down at the floor as we kept walking up the street towards where the house would be. "Go take a nap. I've got first shift." Rogue suggested as I nodded hearing Sting get into the shower within my house. "He knows I only have female's shampoo right?" I asked as Rogue shrugged as if that was going to be Sting's problem soon. Rogue took his position near the window crossing his arms, looking as if he was going to fall asleep himself. I walked to my room, kicked my shoes off, threw the cloak on the floor, and flopped down on the bed. "_What if she's right? What if my parents disappeared because they argued and became part of a gang?" _I thought to myself sighing into my pillow closing my eyes into the wouldn't make sense. This gang was arguing approximately a week before their disappearance, and my parents had shown up smiling those days towards me, they'd make dinner, than go to bed. Seperately yes. But they'd still go to the same room. Than they would both leave for work in the morning before I even got up. I peaked open my eyes slightly towards the darkness watching the feet walk back and forth, blink, the light was out. That wasn't right. I pulled myself slowly out of bed walking towards the door while stumbling over some things that I couldn't remember where I put what which were all probably clothes. I pulled the door open slowly feeling my nightgown sway as I was on my knees looking up towards anyone at all in the hallway. No one was there. It didn't make sense for Rogue to suddenly shut all the lights out. I crawled towards the bathroom glancing at the bathroom door. Open, lights out, not even wet. That wasn't right. The front door was swinging opening and the back door was unlocked. Both things that were very strange. "_I might need a weapon." _I thought to myself crawling into the kitchen looking for the knife draw. It wasn't where it was supposed to be. I felt my heart skip a beat as I rummaged the kitchen looking for where everything was. Something was wrong. This wasn't my kitchen. These weren't my clothes. As suddenly something hit me on the back on the head. "_Rogue or Sting wouldn't do that." _I thought, sure at the beginning of the week I wouldn't have wasted a second doubt and automatically thought they were trying to kill me for my home, a foot kicked me rolling me over as a heavyweight sat on my stomach. Fingers playing along my face.

"Such pretty eyes." Came the whisper as the fingers traced over my eyelids. "But too bad, false intel they weren't the one's I wanted." The fingers traced over my eyes feeling as if they were about to slowly make their way into it. I screamed throwing my arms out doing my best, I was never trained to fight, so I must've looked pretty pathetic lying there thrashing about screaming at the top of my lungs. I flung open my eyes trying to aim for their face as suddenly instead of a heavy little girl there was Rogue with his hand wrapped around my arm and Sting with his arm wrapped around my leg. "Chill out!" Sting shouted as Rogue attempted to go back between trying to soothe me and wake me up. "Everything got dark, and she-she was in the kitchen! I couldn't find anyone, the knife draw was missing. She was in the k-kitchen." I stuttered feeling Rogue slowly let me go, finally realizing that I was awake. "She was the in the kitchen." I managed to stutter out wondering if they were understanding my confusing words. "Geez, girl." Sting sighed running a hand threw his hair sounding as if he was either exhausted or I had interrupted something important.. "If you keep having these nightmares I'm going to have to sleep with you." Rogue sighed.

"Not the time for that Rogue!" Sting chastised as Rogue's eyebrows twitched.

"Speaking of inappropriate things." Rogue grumbled as I finally noticed that Sting was standing in the middle of the room with only a towel on, hair full of soap bubbles, and probably feeling completely awkward. I glanced away from him feeling a tinge of embarrassment cover my face as he left the room to get back in the shower. "What'd you expect? Hear screaming, the first thing I did was go to it." He grumbled probably also feeling slightly embarrassed.

"That wouldn't do much if it were an actual intruder." Rogue grumbled as if Sting had made a grave mistake. I pulled my sheets up trying to cover my embarrassed face. It wasn't fair that Sting had to panic and get out well like _that_, and it wasn't fair that I had upset Rogue. Why was I doing this? Why was I having nightmares almost every night? "I think something's wrong with me." I whispered feeling tears well up in my face. I was being such a cry baby as of lately. I turned away from him feeling an embarrassing feeling come up threw my face as his warm hands turned my face back to him. "Don't hide such important emotions." He said as I nodded slowly and insecurely. He pulled me closer as I could breathe his scent in. He smelled like faded smoke and the growing scent of mint. Once again it wasn't fair. He was so close I could smell him, I could feel his heat radiating off of him to the point I wanted to lean up and kiss him-but I didn't know how he felt so he didn't. "_**I'm **__going to __**protect**__ those important emotions of your's." _He said as his grip became tighter around me.

"_Of course you know how he feels! He's said it a couple times at least!" _A voice in my head shouted. I ignored the voice, it was my inner wants that's all it was. "_Maybe if I just-just try to kiss him, maybe he'll think I'm making a weird face at him instead if I turn him off._" I thought to myself. "Sting wants to investigate the city today." Rogue explained suddenly pushing me away, probably saving me from an embarrassing situation. I nodded slowly. "Also...I think...that you aren't having psychological nightmares." He explained as I felt myself flinch wondering what that meant as he slowly pulled a book out of his coat as if he was hesitating with it. "_Out-of-Body Experiences For Minors" _was written a crossed the cover as he slowly set it down on my bed hesitating with his every movement. His hand pulling away slowly as if he was hesitating and wanted to pick the book right back up and stuff it back into his coat while pretending he had never let me see the book in the first place. I felt my shaking fingers deny it, and move forwards out of curiosity anyway, not even bothering question where or _how_ he got this book. "Read it before we leave, tell me your opinion on it. If you hate it I won't bring it up again." Rogue explained as I nodded slowly watching him flee towards the kitchen, an obviously worried look upon his face before he appeared back in the room again. "I forgot. If you want to talk about it...the other way around, I'm okay with it." He explained and retreated towards the kitchen once again as I peered through the book. I felt my finger run down the line of contents.

_Chapter 1: Lies about out-of-body travel, Chapter 2: What it really is, Chapter 3: Traveling for the minor, Chapter 4: Out-of-body experience for Minors_, I scanned a few forwards thru the fairly large book until something caught my eye_ Chapter 54: Out-of-Body travel on purpose, Chapter 55: Famous people who Out-of-body traveled, Chapter 56: Famous people who wrote down what they did right before their deaths._ "Start simple." I whispered to myself running my finger along the book towards _Chapter 2: What it really is_, although feeling tempted towards _Chapter 54_ at the same time.

I begun reading paging threw the book barely understanding what I was about to get myself into. "Out-of-body traveling is simply a way of your spirit traveling around this can happen in what is called three realms. The three realms are called the physical realm, the spirit or possibly the dream realm since these two co-exsist, and the realm of time. The first thing that a young spirit traveler should know is that within horror movies that most of these are **highly** fictitious and created by people who do not understand others with such a magnificent power." I read aloud remembering several stories and movies that seemed to have a similar situation toward them. As far as horror movies went at this point I was basically in one, so why the heck not? "These powers, if you would like to call them, are mainly already awakened during childhood or come out during teenage catalyst due to rapid change of hormones. These powers tend to actually _not_ be noticed by the one using them." I said to myself knowing that I understood things more when I read them out loud. "I wonder why?" I whispered turning the page if these powers were so common as the book claimed wouldn't we have a class for psychics along with physics? "_Who are you to say that? Maybe they do, but you wouldn't know! You dropped out of school!" _I thought to myself feeling a flash of guilt than shaking it off. I didn't have the time, money, or weapons to go back to school like that.

"What kind of nonsense are you reading?" Sting grumbled standing in the doorway in which he would've been standing there for several minutes since he was already leaning on the door. Obviously hearing what I was reading, at least he was dressed this time. With a damp white t-shirt that was practically see through because of the water, his dripping hair, and blue jeans. I felt heat rise up my face I wasn't sure what to think of this book and Sting was already yelling at me for reading nonsense. "It's something Rogue gave me!" I shouted back, attempting to move the book so Sting couldn't see it, as Sting flinched his eyes glancing around as if he realized he had just done something wrong before he left the "crime-scene" in a hurry. Something was definitely off about this situation, Sting usually didn't wear such a face that looked like he had just stepped on a puppy. "Sting?" I called shutting the book slowly and keeping it on the bed hidden right under the pillow as if I was afraid Rogue would suddenly steal it back. "Rogue, you smell better than normal. More like mint." Sting's voice echoed from the kitchen as I headed that way hearing their conversation. "Don't sniff me Sting, that's weird." Rogue retorted sounding as if he was turning a newspaper. "Besides, you smell like girl's flowers." Rogue retorted as Sting stuttered attempting to reply. I peered into the kitchen slowly before deciding it was my house I would walk where I wanted to. I walked in to see Sting sitting at the table with the map that we were working on earlier and Rogue with a newspaper in hand paging through it until his eyes narrowed, highlighted something, and then continued paging. Both acting as if the situation from only several moments ago had never happened, a picture of Yukino sitting upon the table. They were obviously concerned about that girl. I felt myself suddenly understand why they were concerned about her. It was such a simple reason. A pure reason. It didn't belong in a city like this. "Are we getting ready to play _Extreme-Couponing_?" I teased Rogue while sitting down. Rogue looked up at me as if he hadn't expected me to be out of bed yet for an odd reason. Maybe he thought I should've been still reading that giant book he had leant me with all 50 some of its chapters. "Of course we are, I love intense battles like that." Sting replied cutting something up. Which I crossed my fingers that he was making origami or something instead of shredding all the paper in the house for some form of entertainment. It was actually the latter. I would have to pick up some sort of board game to entertain him later. Like a two year old. I would probably wind up picking up _Clue_ and we would all wind up having to entertain him for a bit. I changed my mind instead choosing plato instead, I would pick up plato. Not _Clue. Plato._ I told myself already imagining a hundred and one ways that the _Plato_ was going to go wrong in the hands of the "almighty Sting".

"I found something!" Sting shouted jumping up with the newspaper in hand, I hadn't even realized that they had traded the objects already, Sting pointed towards the girl who was circled in the background. "She...she goes to the plaza every week she would know if anything was up. Also this girl here..." Sting flipped a couple more pages. "She's been in all of the murder-scene backgrounds." Sting explained as we both nodded slowly and Rogue pulled out _not _a pack of cigarettes from his pocket but instead a list of suspects writing down as many details as he could fit for one person. Detailed and accurate drawings for each person upon each page as he poured threw it, obviously scanning the book over again. Each page seemed to contain a different person, but each page was also packed and jammed full of details. Places, locations, homes, addresses, eye color, hair color, Rogue would've had a great profession as a stalker if that actually paid. "We're going to the city!" Sting smiled declaring happily as if he hadn't been in broad daylight in ages. And so that's what we did. Getting there by...none other than...walking.

The rain had cleared although the sky was still full of clouds and the rain was supposed to come back all over again later. "I guess this is when I start asking if we can go home now." I sighed aloud sitting on a red metal park bench with my aching feet screaming at me. I hadn't walked that much in ages and I still had to go to work the next day. "Nope! The fun's only just started!" Sting replied excitedly as I moaned and Rogue looked exhausted following suit and sitting down next to me. His shoulders sagging as he looked at Sting waiting for the announcement of what our next move would be. I stared down at my sandals that circled up my ankle, these probably weren't the best for chasing people. Not that we were here to chase people. We were here to look for suspects and interrogate people. Most wouldn't be stupid enough to run away from a cop. But around here? We would probably be the one's having to run away...or get stabbed. Both options sounded like a bucket load of fun. I felt the bottom of my feet pound another time. Walking all the way to the inner city was not only painful, but it was stupid. Everyone knew the inner city of any city was usually loaded with crime. And sadly? This crime happened there too. The one that was reported in the newspaper at least. Hopefully we would be able to connect events soon. I peered through my eyelashes to see Sting looking around in front of us with a set frown on his face as he tried to identify our culpr-suspects amongst the crowd to have a "peaceful" conversation with them. Well at least as peaceful as around here could get. I glanced at the rest of my outfit wishing I planned more carefully a purple sundress with spaghetti straps practically screamed "look at me, I'm cute, innocent and from out of town!" or at least wished the boys told me I looked like stalker bait. As usual. Rogue was beginning to fiddle in his pocket, constantly taking his hand out to stop himself until his other hand went into the other side of his jean pocket and he pulled out a package of normal bubble gum instead. "Did you pick up a different flavor because Sting was teasing you?" I smiled as he looked flustered for a moment being caught before it completely disappeared almost not even noticed.

"No, I think I was getting sick of the mint anyway." Rogue explained as I nodded slowly. "So about that book.." He muttered as if trying to start a conversation, I took a breath not sure what I was going to say. "I'm not sure where you're going with this yet, but I barely read it. I felt uncomfortable because Sting-" I stopped as Sting came back from wherever he walked off to and Rogue nodded seeming to understand what I meant. "Here, I'll be back in five minutes I think I spotted someone. Don't move from here okay?" Sting seemed to be explaining to the both of us but I was the only one to nod anyway. He hurried away seeming to try to catch the person he was going to interrogate. Rogue begun to speak as I cut him off not wanting to give him the wrong impression. "Its not that he said anything. He was standing in the doorway after...well getting dressed..and he was um looking for you." I explained as Rogue nodded slowly.

"Sting's...just not good with stuff like that." Rogue explained his voice soft as we waited for Sting to return. I put my feet up on the bench knowing that Sting insisted that he would be back in several minutes the sound of Rogue chewing gum echoing in the background. "So why...um what's your reason behind this book?" I muttered as he shrugged looking away and then seeming as if he slowly looked back towards me as if he wanted me to believe what he handed me.

"I think there's a possibility that when you're dreaming you are seei-"

A girl with slightly blonde hair sticking out of her hood passed by us slowly with what felt like a sly smile crossing her face. She looked so familiar. I thought deeper still attempting to listen to him as a soft whisper echoed a crossed the world. "_I see you too." _It almost sounded like a giggle as I felt my feet shoot up to a standing position, Rogue's face looking slightly frazzled for a second. "If you don't want to believe me you don't have to give such a harsh reaction." Rogue grumbled becoming quieter once again. "No that's not it. That girl which way did she go?" I asked looking around as Rogue gave me a peculiar look. He obviously hadn't seen her. This would take too long to explain. I grabbed his hand ignoring that his pack of cigarettes dropped out of his other pocket on to the bench as we ran in her direction threw the crowd of people who were probably all brandishing weapons and understanding to clear the way towards whichever direction we were chasing after. There was only two reasons someone would make themselves known in this city. One: They were brandishing weapons with so much power it wouldn't matter if they missed. Two: They contained so much power in this city that you would wish you hadn't touched them for years on end. I took advantage of this fear and chased after her hearing Rogue's soft panting behind me even though he was more likely stronger than I was and my feet hit the curb actually feeling safe at the center of attention for the first time in a long time. "Scatter!" Someone screamed as an ominous presence entered the air. And all at once everyone whipped out their weapons out of their pockets keeping them close at hand and begun to scatter. Voices shouting over the commotion for the people they were with and threatening other's thinking that there were several hostage situations going on. "You took her didn't you! You know she's only 13! If you touch the youngest member of our organization we'll kill you, all of you!" Someone shouted with the reply of: "We haven't even seen her! Because if we did we hate you so much she would be dead in the middle of the street by now, and we'd have this town painted red!" Another voice shouted in extreme rage. "Sting." Rogue coughed as he looked behind himself as I felt my hand slip from him slowly trying to make up my mind if we were going back for Sting or going to catch the girl from my dream. I hadn't seen her face completely yet, what if her hair was a different color at the top? What color were her eyes? What'd she look like? Did she actually speak to me? Can we save Yukino? Was Sting endangered if we didn't go back for him? I watched as someone fired shots up into the air.

"You hide, I'll go back for him." I whispered pulling Rogue off to the side into a building as Rogue shook his head. "I'-ll g-go back f-for h-him." Rogue explained threw his coughs as I suddenly felt guilty for pushing him threw the city as fast as I did. "You not capable of going anywhere like that. Should've thought twice before he picked up the first one." I teased as he glared at me. "_It's not the time for that." _Those words whispered as I nodded a faint smile echoing on my face as we watched not only the storm outside worsen but the turf war(s) that were breaking out. As several people pushed their backs up against buildings reloading their guns while the others from their own gangs, mafia, and organizations that practically ran the city flanked them making sure they wouldn't suffer any losses. "M-my j-job, you'r-re just our-r k-keep-keeper." He stuttered once again as I shook my head. "Exactly. You live in my house. You're my responsibility now, I'm one of you." I smiled as he pulled out the cloaks from his pocket that he had somehow managed to conveniently wrap up. "Get it on. Don't leave without me." He instructed managing to finally control his coughing fit as I snatched the cloak. "I'll be right back! Don't leave this building." I explained I could hear my voice shaking in insecurity where as of earlier in the week I would've ducked and stayed in cover out of fear. But this time? This time I was scared. I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want to lose them. _Either of them. _I ran out the door screaming at the top of my lungs. "_Sting!" _I screamed whirling around in the middle of the street where the chaos seemed to be the least of the fights as space encircled me suddenly my hood flying off from the wind. "_Sting!" _I screeched once again shaking off the thoughts of whatever I would congregate that had happened to him. "_Sting! Right now or you don't get dinner!" _I shouted wondering if I could even hear myself over all of the noise.

"Get to a hospital!"

"How could you do that to our friend!"

"You monster!"

I felt my breathing hitch I could barely hear anyone and everything seemed to be covered in a thick smog. I wouldn't go back to Rogue empty handed. "Sting!" I screeched once again looking through the clutter of chaos. Down the street was littered in broad daylight fist fights and guns actually pointed to the heads of people as they struggled to get the people important to them returned. I felt my heart pound this wasn't the place I wanted to be not even this city was the city I wanted to be in. It was the fate of cards that I was dealt. I couldn't even pay rent much less get out of the city. I didn't want to be here. But it wasn't time to be frightened child. It was my turn. It was my turn to find something important to me. It was my time to fight for something important to me. It was my turn. What was important to me...that thing was...not one thing. But two people. And the line just kept growing. I didn't want to feel alone anymore. And these two had filled that wish. I glanced towards a bright yellow blob running thru the streets an aggravated face on as he participated in fist fights and combat. I pulled my voice back from shouting for him and did my best to attempt running towards him wondering if I was smart enough to hide any weapons on myself. I reached inside my cloak where two hand knives were already preloaded. Thank god for Rogue. Sting was fighting off several people empty handed and they all had weapons. He "escaped" from the group when finally everyone was on the ground unconscious. "Sting" I whispered appearing at his side as he nodded, scanned me over, and then begun to speak while I handed him one of my knives which he hid immediately trying not to look like too much of a threat hoping it would calm down the panicked city. "Where's Rogue?" He asked as I nodded my head towards the building I had left him in. "Lead the way, Star Princess." He teased making fun of my name as I nodded turning around the head towards the door, we were almost there when Sting got caught up in another fight. "Sting-" I turned around as he shook his head, don't let them know I was with him. "Look! That girl's the daughter of the Lunar and Star gangs!" Someone shrieked as I begun to pull my hood up someone must've been confused already. There was silence at first. Before mass chaos erupted amongst the whole place. I felt a pressure push me down to the ground, glancing over the black colors shoulder towards Sting who was looking wide-eyed towards the scene, as a shot rang out through the silence.

I pulled myself up watching as the pool of blood surrounded the road echoing out further and further. The liquid residue echoing upon the ground as suddenly Sting skidded down pulling the body that was covering me into his lap looking wide-eyed and completely panicked. I glanced towards my hands already practically black, shaking, and unsure. I felt an ear piercing shriek erupt from my throat something that tore over all of the noise. Seconds passed as everyone froze to stare. These two were obviously important in their roles as people began backing away slowly, the stupid enough one's wanting to challenge them being pulled back with threats of being slaughtered if anyone came near us. "_Do you want him to kill you?" _Someone whispered in a slithering voice before pulling another comrade to the shadows. I felt my teeth chatter struggling not to move my eyes towards who had just saved me from getting shot. "I-I told y-you, k-keep that h-hood up." He coughed as I glanced towards the raven black hair of Rogue's.

"No. No. No." I whispered as Sting was sitting there rocking his brother as I looked around.

"Someone call the hospital! Anyone!" I shrieked looking around as fearful faces echoed out of windows but only the insane people were left fighting upon the streets. Making the streets look practically empty from before. "Help!" I screamed looking around to other people who were holding wounds, not able to leave the field of battle, and people still locked in battle. It looked like a war zone.

"You were supposed to be the one to save him, not get him killed!" The voice sounded like something piercing the last veil of sanity. "He stopped smoking! He wasn't killing himself slowly anymore! You weren't supposed to be the thing that took his life away! You were supposed to take the thing that was taking his life!" Sting screamed as I stood up slowly backing away. I couldn't speak. My throat was completely dry, and there was no way I was processing anything that Sting was saying. The scene looked almost pitiful and it was definitely gut wrenching. Sting kneeling there with Rogue in his lap screaming at the top of his lungs trying to figure out how to help his "brother" when no one would lift a hand, sitting there completely covered in Rogue's darkening blood that was pooling out onto the ground surrounding their feet. Sting begun moving his hands picking up the cloaks I had dropped and attempting to stop the bleeding whispering. "Its just a flesh wound you big baby, now wake up." Sting whispered his hands were obviously shaking as suddenly I felt a cloth go around my mouth as I begun to kick trying to get free. "You're coming with us." The voice sounded sly, deceptive, and dangerous. I reached out towards Sting and Rogue, my hand falling with little to no strength left inside it. "Don't worry, its just a little bit of liberation. We need a friend you see. You'll understand." The voice said almost happily as I felt like I was falling slowly and unsure how it was such a weird feeling.

"We were doing so well." I thought to myself thinking about all the information that we had collected, and now everything that we were trying for, trying to protect-would just disappear. That was pretty well on my own terms, there was no way I was going to get all of the things that we were putting together, together, not on my own I wouldn't have. So quickly. In a mass shred of chaos. I looked around the streets towards the ones sitting on the sidelines exhausted, people glancing over but not lifting a finger, a strange obvious fear within their eyes causing me to wonder who was standing behind me. But instead I focused on the scene right in front of me. The only people in my life...that I hadn't feel like they were going to try and kill me...what about that girl...Yukino was it? What would happen to her with the three of us gone. Well at least Sting would be left. He would have to live on for everyone. What about Kinana and Cobra? Maybe even my boss would worry a bit. Most people would've thought about their parents at this point...but mine were obviously gone. There was no way they were alive if they had seen an entourage like this. "I don't want to die." I thought attempting to glance at my captor, everything was moving so slowly. There was a way, I had to fight. I reached for the blade which seemed to disappear. Or at least my hand wouldn't work, as I felt myself scooped up slowly and carefully. As if they were actually afraid of hurting me in some way. As if I was a piece of fragile goods or something. "_I'm so doomed." _I thought to myself trying to look for a way out of this. I wasn't an expert fighter and I didn't even understand what was happening to me. I had grown up pretty well and only needed to rob a grocery store once or twice. That had to be some form of record in this city. I glanced towards the two, wondering if they would come get me..._**eventually. **_Before I felt my breathing hitch once or twice and everything made a fading situation to black as if I had been sick remembering the last thing I thought:

"He wouldn't come save me anyway."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I felt my eyes peel themselves open, everything felt empty and heavy, and after a day like today why shouldn't it be? I glanced around feeling a cold cement feeling propped up against my cheek. I took a deep breath attempting to get up as I stared around, the streets were dark lit with very few lamps. Actually having any light here seemed...unnatural. It just wasn't normal. Lights at night. It was plain weird: a false sense of security. I glanced around once again pushing myself up to a kneeling position. "_What was I doing out here...sleeping on the sidewalk?" _I thought glancing around that was a sure way to be literally asking to get killed, mugged, or robbed. Maybe even worse. I glanced towards my hands, they almost kind of pretty freshly painted nails and trimmed in just the right way instead of growing out at all sorts of angles and lengths like mine were. "_Hmm, strange. I don't remember doing that." _I thought getting up and walking further down the street, it was strange. The entire street was completely deserted in the middle of the night. Usually it would've been full of people, well not exactly obviously full but full of people doing their "this" and their "that". Each not pretty to describe. I gulped down my air and started walking towards the nearest store I would have to find out soon which direction my house was. Maybe even why I was out on the streets. "You have pretty eyes you know." A voice smiled as I could feel breath upon my neck. It was definitely female, that voice was so near. I turned slowly looking towards a glowing blue within the window of a closed store, it was a beautiful color that glowed as if it were made of the see's and a dark echoing green glooming down towards me. I felt my breathing hitch as I attempted to run forwards. "You know, it must get boring eventually, these poor girls you keep trying to save from feeling death." The female smiled sadistically as I felt a sharp pain rip its way thru the top left half of my rib cage. An ear piercing shriek belted its way out into the sky as everything became dark.

A gasp echoed throughout a silent room as I flung my eyes open into a blue scarf. "Someone shut that girl up!" Someone shrieked as everything came rushing back in all forms of different colors. "More chloroform?" Some asked as another person made an exasperated sigh.

"Are you idiots trying to kill her?"

"No boss."

"What are we trying to do?"

"Liberate her, return her to her parents, receive the money, and take care of our own."

"Exactly and if we kill her from a chloroform overdose how will that help us?"

Several more moments of silence passed before feet scuttled around the room presumably doing what they were supposed to be doing. "What do you think this girl's relation to those two were?" Someone whispered as I finally gained my composure pulling my breath back as I begun to take in my surroundings. It wasn't exactly cold but it was definitely solid, I was either on a carpet or a cement flooring with a blanket underneath me. "Well not just anyone would walk around a city like this like that." A voice echoed through the room as I attempted to remember what happened yesterday. Why were my hands tied together? Why was I on the floor? Who were these people? "I want to bet she was the SaberTooth Slayers' slut" Someone laughed as I felt myself shiver back that voice wasn't one that was filled full of trust. Instead it was full of malice, the type of malice that made me feel like gagging my lunch back. "Hey girl-y wake up." Someone said placing the arch of their foot over my stomach rocking me back and forth. "Tell me what those two were like." The voice laughed as I felt my whole being rocked back and forth by the arch of their foot. "Did they prefer to take turns or three-somes? Well I could see it with the blonde one, but the raven-haired one would probably prefers to keep it a little clandestine doesn't he?" Whoever was speaking to me suddenly was making my blood boil as I realized the two we were talking about. "Don't even worry about them, I plunged a great big hole threw the quiet one. It was meant for you , you know." The voice grumbled suddenly growing tired and bored while pacing away, a metal clanking sound slammed.

I thought about their two smiling faces fading into the scene where I last saw them, something burning sliding down my face. I was probably going to die here. It was so simple. So easily done, someone would probably open the door, get bored in a place like this, and stab me. Entertaining at least another hour or two looking for a place to dump my body. "Concentrate." I whispered to myself thinking deeper. What about the book? What was it that Rogue was trying to tell me when he handed me such a thing? "_He's trying to tell you that he thinks that you're out-of-body traveling" _A voice whispered within my head as it suddenly made sense. These girls were actually girls that were getting killed. But I was possessing each girl each night while this murderer was killing these girls. The catalyst had to be recognizing one of the first few murders, my mind shot back to the mangled body in the streets pools of blood dripping out in the streets an obviously losing fight put up and still alive something like that was going to happen to m- I shook my head I didn't have time for that. I needed to find a weapon, or at least anything to cut me out of the ropes. "They aren't coming you know." A voice in my head whispered as I shook it off, I couldn't just sit around and wait for them to arrive. Well at least Sting. What Sting should be focusing on at this current point in time was two things. And those two people alone. The first one being Rogue getting him to a hospital that was under Saber-Tooth's conditions. The second was Yukino. Making sure she got out of the city before everything got rough. I felt another warm piece of water slip down my cheek feeling like a blade of heat. I wasn't used to crying but most of the time it was painful. Suddenly an awful metal sound pierced the room as I felt myself rolling forwards, what sounded like air coming out of a soda bottle echoed from what I believe to be the door again as everything was slowly fading again. "_No, not now...not now...I was going to get out of here." _Everything went limp.

***Sting's P.O.V., 3rd person***

Someone's pacing outside the door of Rogue's was becoming quite obnoxious as Sting looked up from where he was staring at the floor hearing Rogue grumble. "What's the matter?" Sting asked flinging the door open to receive a glare. "Stop pacing already." Rogue explained as Sting nodded retreating out of the room. "I know the doctors said I need rest or whatever mumbo jumbo they explained but you already made it to this sector of the building there's no point of pacing outside in a hallway you aren't supposed to be in, in the first place." Rogue sighed towards him as Sting nodded slowly. "Alright now the both of you get in here." Rogue grumbled as Sting hesitated. "Its only me." Sting said in a slightly low tone causing Rogue to look up from his book within his hands, grip obviously becoming tight as something passed through his mind. "Work?" Rogue asked trying to figure out how many days it had been since he had last awoken. "Not exactly-" Sting begun to explain suddenly being cut off a loud banging of doors being open and shut again echoing throughout the entire hospital. "Sting what's happening?" Rogue asked as Sting placed Rogue's handheld gun on the nightstand. "They would've confiscated this, so I hid it." Sting explained going around the question as Rogue's eyes narrowed. "I should probably go lock that door." Sting said backing away slowly as it was too late Rogue's hospital door came crashing to the ground.

"Where the fuck is she?" Cobra asked with a teenage girl with purple hair in trail.

"Erik you shouldn't go around hospitals like this." the girl whispered.

"I'll be right back, stay outside 'kay dear?" Cobra explained as she nodded watching as Cobra shut the door again. "The fuck! Where is she?" Cobra whirled back towards the two who glanced at each other. All glares quickly adjusted to Sting. "Sting, is she really at work?" Rogue's growl came out unashamedly and loudly as Cobra's eyes narrowed into slits. "Well...maybe she has a cold, and something h-happened while we were in the hospital." Sting attempted explaining before Cobra interrupted him: "Celeste. Hasn't shown up for work for three days. Celeste has come to work even with the h1n1, don't you dare tell me she has a cold!" Cobra begun his voice also tracing an edge of a growl. "Sting." Rogue looked up towards him as Sting gulped, sighing, and sat down.

"Its been three days Rogue. Three whole days." Sting whispered putting his head in his crossed hands. "What do you mean?" Rogue asked glancing towards his hand as he attempted to move it back and forth into a fist. "Three days ago...you were shot." Sting explained as Rogue nodded slowly as if to say "_I already know that part"_ Sting took in a breath. Beginning to explain as Cobra invited who seemed to be named Kinana into the room saying something about how this was going to be a long explanation. "Three days ago. The reason you were shot, is you were protecting our tenant. You two had disappeared while I was working on an investigation of sorts I don't know why or who you were chasing, but when it happened mass chaos broke out, several turf wars began, people were injured, and it all ended with a scream over who they thought this girl really was, when you were shot. Protecting her." He explained as Rogue nodded. Seeming not to remember why he had called _two _people in, in the first place. "So what happened after that?" Rogue asked as Sting looked up in shock as if he was suspecting some form of different answer in reply. "I-I screamed at her. That the reason you were going to die was her fault, then I lost track of her...I haven't seen her for those three days." Sting explained as Rogue nodded a frown forming upon his face. "So you're telling me...that I risked my life to protect someone important to us. And you left her for dead. Meaning this damage is virtually pointless." Rogue explained as Sting bowed his head. "Yeah something like that." Sting explained as Rogue glanced towards the book that was sitting right next to his gun.

"Did the doctors tell you my memories might've been damaged?" Rogue asked as Sting nodded his head.

"Its a normal trauma thing."

"They weren't. I remember that day as clear as a beautiful glowing night even when you turned and called her star princess. It was a reference to the translation of her name. I could hear you two loud and clear. It was as if nothing around you two existed. Just the three of us. For a brief moment." Rogue explained as Sting nodded.

"Any leads on any of it yet?" Rogue asked as Sting shook his head only to pull out more papers from his pockets. "Not a dime, none of it makes sense. The murderer has an intent they only chase after women and for now it seems they've been taking the girls eyes. Skin isn't a priority anymore." Sting said labeling the change of priority amongst the murderer.

"Wait did you say that skin of all things isn't a priority anymore but eyes?" Cobra asked as they nodded handing the papers over as Kinana looked over his shoulder. "Something s-seems familiar." Kinana whispered as Cobra cast her a sad look.

"Do any of you remember when I went on a huge rampage that took your whole gang with it with who and why?" Cobra asked as the duo looked towards each other then back towards Cobra unsure if he would answer it himself. Cobra sighed. "The reason they kid-took someone important to me, was because they were almost done with a twisted form of alchemy they were trying to create a monster." Cobra explained as the duo reluctantly and unbelieving nodded. "They were trying to bring to life a monster that shouldn't of existed, by using various skin, organs, and eyes for their monster." Cobra explained.

"If what Celeste told us is true, each night this same person goes after someone different. They say such pretty eyes and kill the girl, repeating it the next night." Rogue explained getting a "_how would you know that, she hasn't told anyone yet" _look from Sting.

"She sleep talks." Rogue justified himself as Sting nodded slowly.

"Why would someone keep working so long if they really prioritized this monster?" Sting grumbled. "The only conclusion is they have a certain color in mind that they don't realize it's wrong till their up close, or their a perfectionist." Cobra explained as Kinana sat down on the couch near Cobra but not bothering glancing at the papers.

"What if they're looking for a certain person instead? But keep winding up with someone who matches closely the description but not exact?" Kinana whispered as Cobra's arm was around her waist. Sting suddenly beginning to flip throughout the papers, pulling even more stacks of papers out. "There's been at least one kill a day since the murder that Celeste saw, before we arrived. How many nights before we arrived did she see it? How many deaths have there been now?" Sting whispered pulling out more and more sheets of paper, flipping them over. They looked like high school ID's cute, pretty, happy-and dead. Each girl had the fact that they were all dead in the last week or longer the same. "What else? We're missing something aren't we?" Sting asked as Rogue looked towards Cobra. "Who are Celeste's parents?" Rogue asked as Sting flinched back, it hadn't even occurred to him to ask Cobra. He had only thought of Cobra as her "worker" friend. Cobra suddenly fell silent staring at the floor for the briefest quickest moment. "Would you believe me if I told you I didn't know?" He started as both the boys shook their heads. Cobra sighed as Kinana got up, ordered drinks, and returned to them quickly. "She's the younger twin of the Lunar-Sky Clan before they separated." Cobra sighed as everyone nodded slowly. "We thought so, everything was piling up to that." Rogue said as Cobra nodded. "There's more to it than that. Out of the two girls one, Celeste, was raised as close to "normal" as this place could get while the other-not so much." Cobra explained as everyone nodded.

"We'll be leaving now." Cobra sighed as Kinana smiled.

"We'll be back soon is what he means." She smiled as the duo look towards the couple leaving. "Wait-" Sting called as they both looked back. "What is your connection to Celeste?" Sting asked suddenly as everyone looked around at each other, barely visible Cobra's hand tightened upon Kinana's. "A while back I made a form of deal. For a protection of sorts, and within this deal I had to protect Celeste. I'm pretty much her bodyguard." Cobra explained as the duo nodded watching the couple leave.

"So..." Sting muttered trying to put it together as Rogue sighed towards him as if what Cobra just said was the simplest thing to understand ever. "Right after we had a homicidal maniac in our SaberTooth gang who tried to kidnap Kinana and caused Cobra that scar, the Lunar-Star Clan came to Cobra and offered to make sure that Kinana was always safe simply in exchange for watching Celeste and making sure she would always be safe."

"But...aren't they a gang already?"

"Yes but he can move easily around the city."

"But wouldn't it be safer if those two just watched those important to themselves?"

"They already know who's connected to who, its easier to protect someone this way."

"It all seems kind of unnecessary"

"Well look how it turned out."

There was a silence within the room as the two stared at each other. "How long before I leave?" Rogue asked. "You mean how long until the doctors permit you to leave or-"

"How long till I can move around freely on my own or you bust me out of here?"

"We're going to need both first."

"How long?" The growl almost seemed vicious as Sting sighed.

"Another night that's it."

Rogue let out an exasperated sigh. "She'll be so far away by than. We don't even know who took her in the first place. Or for what reason." Rogue grumbled placing his hand over his eyes rubbing them as if he was containing a form of migraine. "S-sir, the patient...he needs to sleep." A nurse stuttered walking in. "I'll sleep on the back porch." Sting instructed as she nodded slowly her shaking becoming more potent when she saw the gun sitting on the nightstand. "Would you like me to hide those?" Sting asked suddenly becoming more aware of the people who **didn't** wish to live in a city like...the way it was. The nurse nodded slowly as Sting sighed putting it back into his pocket. "T-thanks." She whispered heading towards Rogue's monitor to write down several measurements probably changing heart rates or something. "For _normal_ people from out of town its a sign of fear, for people like us...this is a sign you'll be able to protect yourself. If anything goes wrong don't be afraid of using one." Sting explained sliding the glass door open.

"I'm afraid"

"You can't be afraid of the thing that will save your life."

"I'm afraid of holding someone's life in my hands when my jobs to save them." The nurse whispered and then walked out.

"Hollar if you need a gun." Sting sighed as Rogue glanced towards him, his mouth trying to twitch attempting to understand the bitter joke. "Hey, hey, once the doctors are done flipping out that they reopened my wounds."

"Whoever knew that you had a sense of humor."

Sting walked towards the porch. It was surprisingly comfy containing a chair, a blanket, a table, and even a couch with cushioning. Sting let out an exasperated sigh sitting down on the cushioning peering through his eyes out of habit to make sure that no one was after him. But he was on the twenty something floor there was no way anyone but a sniper was going to get him from there, but you never knew in a city like this. At least most hospitals were considered a neutral zone since the incident where someone had injured a nurse who made an entire hospital get up and leave town, some kidnapping each other because they were so dedicated to helping people. Ever since then...people like that didn't exist in this city anymore. At least they had thoughts, earning a living by living on the streets. That was until they broke into Celeste's house and she slowly begun changing- a glowing blue light startling him from his thoughts. That wasn't Rogue's. Sting opened his eyes wider towards a flashing form of Celeste on the porch. "_Help..I can't stabilize." _She whispered obviously talking to herself as she attempted to stand on the porch still flashing. "No. No...This is Rogue's thing not mine. I'm just tired." Sting whispered to himself looking in the other direction as the "ghost" of his mind apparently vanished. Sting got up again walking into the room planning to ask Rogue what he wanted to eat and order a couple glasses of water on top of that. It was a long day they weren't planning on exercising or going into fights for the last three days. Water was a luxury currently. Now it was a luxury he could have. It was a luxury he needed, now. "It's going to be okay." A whisper came from the room as Sting peered into the room, where that glowing blue form of Celeste was shaking. "I can't stabilize it, I'm scared." Celeste whispered as Rogue attempted to wipe a tear from her face "Its going to be okay."

"Is it?"

"Do you trust in us?"

There was hesitation echoing through Celeste's eyes, but she still nodded slowly. Sting glanced at the two. A shaking Celeste who was sitting on the side of the bed of Rogue's, while his hand was _seemingly_ wrapped around her waist the other trying to comfort the girl. "I keep having those really bad nightmares...I-I think they're connecting me to the girls who are getting k-killed." she stuttered her form flashing. "Keep your emotions in check." Rogue said as the girl nodded, shaking as she attempted to find anything that would make her feel stable. "What does that girl look like? Do you know where you are?" Rogue persisted as she shook her head.

"That girl...she's she's looking for eyes but not just any eyes...they aren't blue...um her's are green, she has blonde tipped hair..I think, I feel like her hair isn't the same." Celeste explained as Rogue nodded, Sting rubbed his eyes behind the curtain for a brief moment it looked like Rogue was just sitting there talking to himself all over again. Something that was considerably normal to Sting, but this time...Sting felt an undying curiosity to know who, what they were talking about on the other side of that wall he couldn't tear threw himself. Suddenly Rogue lurched forwards apparently grasping someone's wrist. "Focus on me and only me!" He shouted Sting felt himself pulled more towards the room, Rogue had never shown anyone so much passion echoing in his eyes until now when he seemed like he was trying to pull this girl out of her barely stable form and threw whatever curtain was blocking them as if he was going to pull her physical body through this wall. "I-I know." Her voice stuttered back towards where Sting could hear her again. "Just keep calm, think about what needs to be done. Where are you right now? Anything at all?" Rogue asked as Celeste shook her head. "Its cold, there's a metal door and freaky keeps pacing back in and out it before leaving again." Celeste explained as Rogue nodded slowly.

"Anything at all."

"There were at least three or four people talking, I think their motive is to threaten the Lunar-Star Clan that i'm the daughter and they have me hostage in exchange for bail money or something."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Celeste whispered her voice shaking.

"It's okay these powers aren't supposed to be used all at once." Rogue explained as Celeste nodded.

"Are you okay?" He asked his voice becoming something of a soft residue as Celeste flinched away suddenly, an unnatural reaction for someone who seemed so bubbly and friendly to them even when she was afraid they were out to kill her over her apartment. "Mostly, ye-" She said as suddenly she curled over like something, or someone punched her in the stomach completely blurring out of ever existing in the room. "Rogue..." Sting asked slightly his voice full of hesitation. "You're about to wonder if we need to be moved to the psycho-ward aren't you?" Rogue asked hesitation also echoing throughout his eyes. "No. I wouldn't doubt a brother like that...but was that Celeste?" Sting asked slowly unbelieving his own eyes as Rogue nodded seeming confused. "I think I just saw her...she's...she's not dead is she?" Sting said feeling guilt well up inside, he would definitely need that water. And soon. "No. Celeste is an out of body traveler...to a certain extension. That she was able to come to us...she must really wish it. But the thing about that is she's going to think that visit was just a dream when she wakes up." Rogue whispered as Sting nodded. "What's the major problem?" Sting asked wondering what was upsetting Rogue so much. "Two things." Rogue sighed pausing for apparently dramatic effect or to at least catch his breath, that had to be added in there recently quitting smoking and being shot in the ribs. Focusing on breathing was necessary.

"The first thing was that emotion that echoed in her eyes when I asked her to trust us, it echoed loudly of doubt. She doesn't think we're going to be coming for her." Rogue explained as Sting nodded. "That...could be partially my fault." Sting muttered as Rogue sighed towards him.

"More than partially." Rogue grumbled Sting quieting down again waiting for the other thing that seemed to bother Rogue about their conversation with Celeste. "The way she melted out, it wasn't exactly disappearing on purpose. It seemed like someone disturbed her sleep. And being mostly thoughts-" Rogue paused as Sting waited for the many answers that Rogue suddenly seemed to have from a one chance encounter. "It looked like someone kicked her. She wouldn't have time to think not to do that if she was basically a soul, she would've just reacted." Rogue explained as Sting nodded skeptically. "We've got motive. Now who's in debt to both the Lunar and Star gangs?" Rogue asked as Sting was silent for a few brief moments before launching a list of gangs only to be paused by Rogue. "Who's stupid and who's in so much major debt a move like this might actually save them?" Rogue paused as Sting came down to three none major gangs, they were still like any of the gangs, within the city.

"One of those are our guy." Rogue explained as Sting nodded glancing through them.

"This time its your capability." Rogue explained as Sting sighed slipping off his rings as he pressed his hand to the paper. "We are the weirdest detectives ever you know that right?" Sting grumbled as Rogue looked away. "If we weren't our parents might've still lived now wouldn't they? Or maybe they would've never been avenged. Its the way you think about it." Rogue attempted to justify as Sting shook his head pressing his hand to the paper. This felt scientific in someway compared to what Rogue and Celeste were doing. The only way he felt still sane with something that Rogue was born with. This was something that Sting was traumatized into. It had to stay scientific for him on his level, the subconscious catalyst and chemicals of the brain worked like an internet line and therefore that was what he was capable of. "This middle gang here, its the only one stupid enough to do a snatch and bag then return her themselves." Sting replied as Rogue nodded.

"Was...was I really looking at Celeste in here...tell me I imagined that.." Sting sat down on the bed sprawling himself a crossed it. "No. That was her." Roge explained as Sting bit his lip staring at the lights on the roof. "She seemed...so fragile..." Sting whispered searching for a word that would described it all at once. She seemed fragile, afraid, unstable, and insecure, while holding back so much more that was hidden inside those hazel confused eyes. Sting looked towards his brother asRogue attempted reaching for his gun only to notice that it wasn't there again. "Nurse asked for me to hide it remember?" Sting asked tossing the gun over as Rogue looked like he was planning on removing himself from the bed but instead reached into his pocket pulling out a wad of twenties. "Go buy me something...with less bullet holes in it." Rogue explained.

"Jacket or no jacket?" Sting asked

"Jacket."

Sting nodded and headed out an outfit already in mind for Rogue. "I'll be back, don't let anyone pour any sort of medicine down your throat till I get back and check it over a couple times myself." Sting explained as Rogue rolled his eyes towards his over protective "brother". Sting glanced back towards Rogue who placed his head against the pillow obviously aggravated about having to sit still until he came back with the change of clothes that wouldn't scream: "_Hey everyone I just broke out of the hospital."_ Which meant that they were messed up in some serious shit. Either people would go screaming down the streets away from them or try to shoot them to solve the problem before it happened. Neither would be a good sign especially while staging a rescue mission. Stomping down the stairs Sting continued walking until someone grasped his sleeve. Sting felt his heart miss a beat. Not here. Not now. As he glanced over towards bottle blonde shining hair and innocent eyes staring up at him. "Hey, are you visiting someone who got sick? We miss you at the firm." She smiled. It was Yukino. Of all people right now. She had to make an appearance. Of all times. They had done so well hiding. "No Yukino. You might want to get away from us." Sting begun to whisper as Yukino seemed not to pick up on such a quiet sound. "Actually i'm going to visit my grandmother, for some reason our house caught on fire the other night. Silly grandma must've fell asleep making dinner or something. I got home just in time, she has barely any injuries but their insisting on keeping us here. They're saying its better for grandma's health also we don't have a place to go back to till its rebuilt" Yukino smiled talking about her days happily. "Anyway how have you been? Where's Rogue?" Yukino smiled not seeming to be put two and two together. "You need to get out of this city." Sting whispered, Rogue would understand. Sting reached into his pocket pulling enough out of his pocket for two plane tickets out of the city. "What? Why?" Yukino stuttered as the money was thrusted into her hand. "Leave. Once your grandmother is recovered, don't even bother going home. Just leave." Sting said thrusting the money in her hands as she gave him a frazzled look. "There's still people I want to help!" She called reminding him of Skiadrum's last words towards Rogue. "Not here. There's no one to help here. The only people that need help are the one's that don't belong here." Sting explained heading off towards the clothing store once she disappeared inside after being frustrated and screaming that she wouldn't accept such a thing.

"Its hard to protect what's important." Sting grumbled to himself as he looked towards wanted and missing posters all assembled together on the wall most of the time all taken for granted with a quick glance everyone on there had their own reason to get shot or be wanted. "_Who would care enough to put up a missing poster around here?"_ Sting thought then glanced back towards the racks of clothes. Looking for some ragged jeans, a black shirt that was probably going to form around Rogue's muscles, and a blue jacket to go over that. The shirt wound up being blue while the jacket wound up black. "Who would care enough to remember...what was important in time.." Sting felt his anger rise back closing his eyes as he seemed to stare at the rack of clothing. Three nights ago echoing within his head.

"_Why!? Why my brother?" The voice was shrieking and he didn't even understand that it was his own voice echoing loudly throughout the streets as someone's footsteps were running, a couple of shots were being fired, and his mouth was moving on his own as he felt his eyes narrow staring at a completely confused girl for the first time her hands dripping in someone else's blood. Her own friends blood, pools of it pouring out around her as she shook, she was screaming in confusion instead of just a high pitched shriek she was looking for help her head whirling towards anyone in the streets. Becoming confused when no one would help anyone. It was a war zone of misery. That wasn't how it was supposed to be. No one should be covered in their friend's blood like that...not someone like that. _

Sting pulled in a breath. **He** was the reason that Celeste seemed so broken. She thought they weren't coming for her, he had let her get kidnapped even after hearing te pounding and dragging of feet he kept telling himself that everything was alright. She wasn't screaming. What bullshit he was telling himself especially after Rogue whispered "go get her" half consicis not even knowing what he was saying. "Bull shit i'm not coming for you, I'm going to be one of the first people within the room saving you." Sting grumbled purchasing the clothes and heading back to Rogue who would be waiting impatiently already.

***Celeste's P.O.V., 1st person* **

I took a deep breath in trying to figure out where I was. For the first time in what felt like days I was finally able to have a **seemingly** normal dream. I had even visited Sting and Rogue where Rogue was going to be okay in a hospital bed and they were ordering water. I bit my lip what a lie that was. No one would even get up to help anyone they were screwed. There was no way they had made it to the hospital in time. "Yo. Are you up?" A voice asked as I felt myself for some reason moan in reply. It felt like I was being kicked. "Thank god, I thought i'd have to keep kicking you in the abdomen forever." The voice groaned seeming obnoxiously bored. The same voice that was bragging earlier about how they had shot Rogue.

I heard them sit down, the sound sounded as if they were one or two whole steps in front of me possibly sitting cross legged. Probably on whatever I was laying on instead of cement flooring. "So...which one did you do it with first?" I felt my face heat up. They weren't seriously trying to have this conversation at this moment in time in this situation. They were seriously asking. "Just trying to hold a polite conversation." The voice muttered there wasn't anything at all polite about this conversation. "I'm still a virgin!" I blurted determined to make whoever I was talking to stop calling me the SaberTooth Dou's slut. It wasn't fair to them. They weren't like that. They had actually each asked me on multiple occasions to try quitting my job. This wasn't fair to me nor them. "Really? So...um which one do you think is cuter?" They stated as I felt my face change shades of red. "Seriously you haven't even thought about something like that? And here I thought you were just like every girl on the block, trying to get with one of them for protection from the other _rivals _around here." the voice grumbled. "Names Der Meister by the way." I hesitated that wasn't exactly something I wanted to be calling them at this current point in time. I sighed well there was no reason for me to address what seemed to be a him by name. "I'll be your charge today until you are transferred over but still seriously? You're seventeen and telling me that you haven't even had a single dirty thought about either of those two?" Der Meister mumbled obviously shaking their head in disappointment. I would just have to go with it. This was just the way it was seen fit to talk around here. "Okay, honest opinion?" I replied he was probably nodding forgetting I couldn't see anything but a blue scarf that seemed to now be covered in polka dots.

"About the boys at least." Der Meister replied obviously knowing he was going to get a huge rant of complaints about the "harsh" treatment, no food, no water, on a blanket on the ground when I should be at work. "Sting's pretty in his own way. But he's more of a playboy pretty to me." I explained as I could hear Der Meister nodding. "What about the other one? Rogue he's interesting in his own way." Der Meister replied sounding as if they suddenly wanted to have a teenage girl's conversation. "I think I would find Rogue more attractive if he quit smoking. He has nice hair I guess." I replied trying to hide my sudden uneasy feeling. Why was I sitting here with Der Meister talking as if nothing was ever about to happen? I sighed attempting to sit up by placing my hands on the ground and pushing myself up to a kneeling position. "So which way are you?" I muttered trying to keep at least looking in that direction there was a brief moment of silence, as hesitation not to tell me. "I'm near the door." The voice echoed within the truck, they were definitely still sitting in front of me. "Good joke." I grumbled trying to keep it up, he was either lying or telling me the truth to lure me into revealing how much I knew. "Just trying to keep you guessing. My shifts almost over anyway, there will someone here to replace me soon." Der Meister muttered getting up. A metal clanking sound echoing in the room once again. Sure Der Meister sounded as if they were a seemingly nice person to talk to from around here. But I wasn't too fond of being kicked in the abdomen. I reached up, with my hands still tied, trying to pull off the bandana. If what Der Meister said was true there should be at least a five minute period of him standing outside the door, another five minutes after that the other shift would arrive late, and then another five minutes after that the other shift would walk in. I just simply had to stay sane and attempt to estimate how many minutes had passed. Luckily I still had my cloak wrapped around me, I moved both my hands brushing the sharp edge within my pocket. Yup. That was what I wanted. Sadly though it was on the wrong end for me to grasp. "_Its time you try to take care of yourself." _I thought, they couldn't of come for me. Last time I had seen them Sting was screaming frustrated towards me while Rogue was lying in a pool of his own blood.

I reached into my cloak pocket and pulled out the knife.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I watched the silver blade carefully something was even alluring about the liquid I was about to splatter around the ground. I shook my head. Not here, not now...not ever. Hopefully. I wouldn't be a crazy psycho-path. I would just be a girl. A girl trying to live. A girl trying to protect what was important to her. A girl trying to love. I shook my head, there would never be time for something like that either. Slowly I begun turning the knife, being precautious and careful as I took my teeth to redirect the knife where my hands couldn't reach, cutting my rope off my wrists trying faster than I should have as my hands finally came loose, I immediately followed up by cutting my feet free. Faster than the hands with the rope around my ankles. There would be no way to hide it once the door opened. I slit the rope finally looking up to find a place to hide, pushing myself into the corner where the wall gave me a brief false sense of security. "_Don't do anything stupid. Trust in us." _Rogue's voice from my dream echoed loudly within my head. Even if it wasn't a dream I didn't have time to sit around and play _Sleeping Beauty. _The door clicked open slowly, the feet were loudly, this person was probably way taller than me most likely a man, his shadow showed that he was probably also well built. I felt my heart thud waiting for his voice to panic and scream that I had escaped or come in flipping out that there was rope all over the floor. "Which twin is this? The psychotic murdering one or the one who doesn't even know about the situation?" His voice echoed from the hallway as the other person's shadow showed them shrugging. "Oh god. There's two of them." I thought to myself wondering if I'd be able to take them on with the little knife. The door slid open, I sucked a breath in waiting for the steps to walk into the unlight room, and pressed my back up against the cool wall. My heart pounding in my ears. Feeling it in places it shouldn't of been. I let an uncomfortable frown slip as I glanced towards the door, this pace was so **slow **they were going to catch me. "That guy down there was bragging how he shot her raven-haired bodyguard, is that going to be a problem?" Someone asked as they finally entered the room. I took this moment-and-pounced. Knife out lunging for whoever was the second to walk in the door. My plan already forming as I moved towards the smaller one who made a sound of shock and moved out of the way, I used the door to kick off of it and ran down the hall. I would have to find the way out on my own threw a rat's nest.

I felt my feet propel my forwards as I searched for the exit doing my best not to run into Der Meister the translation of his name towards English making me become wearisome of who he really was instead of just some unknowing attendee making sure that I didn't escape. I glanced over my shoulder making another turn no one was behind me as I slammed into something burgundy. "Baby. Its okay" Someone whispered as I felt my feet skid backwards, using my hand to glide a crossed the floor, man I would've looked hot in a movie like that. But it was only hot in theory, in real life it felt uncomfortable and clumsy. Uncoordinated. I brought my knife up to chest level waiting for someone to retaliate against me. Instead a beautiful, proud, woman was standing there. Her chest propped up with her hands on her hips as she watched me a smile on her red colored lips that told me that she knew she had all of the power from where she was standing staring down the hallway towards me. "Who-" I let fall from my lips as I glanced towards the crest on her left chest piece and on the shoulders of all the people standing behind her. They were in the branch of the _Lunar-Star Clan. _They were the Lunar Gang. I gulped down my breath staring up at them wide-eyed. "Mom?" I whispered towards the lady who was standing proudly in front of me who was highly confused. She nodded looking me over quickly as I stood up glancing over my shoulder. "Who are these people? What do they want?" I whispered feeling the first questions of hundred come out one of them being how I never picked up on that I was the daughter of a gang leader. I glanced towards the two heading out of "my room" as I walked quicker. "We've got to get out of here! I've got to get to those two" I shouted grabbing for her hand and going to run as she tugged me back. "Nope. You're in the middle of a turf war now, no one embarrasses our people like this." She smiled as I glanced at her full of confusion.

"Your daughters got some spunk." The small guy that I had scared before laughed hysterically.

"I know she always has! Its always been so adorable! You know until she was back and forth between who's clan she wanted to join...but ya know she'll definitely pick us!" My mom shouted back joyfully. _Blood was dripping down hands holding a knife, someone definitely had a sly smile on as I heard a child laughing it sounded like a child, but that age was definitely a little younger than myself. _I shook my head. There wasn't time to zone out like that. "Mom what's going on?" I whispered as my mom laughed hysterically. "You've turned into such a timid child since you were gone.-" her smile fell- "we're going to kill them for whatever they did to you honey...okay?" She smiled running her hand threw my hair.

"For Liset!"

"For Liset!" They cheered in reply towards my mother as everyone swarmed the place and my mom pulled out several guns and bullets from her pocket. "Your favorite" She smiled as I recoiled. "They haven't done anything to me! I just woke up a little while ago...there was this giant war..I was with Rogue and he got shot"

"Did you do it? I'm so proud of you! Shooting one of the two famous ones from this town! You've definitely got the guts to be my daughter!"

This wasn't my mom, this wasn't my mom. This lady in front of me...was horribly insane. "Liset, my darling, Liset. For a while I was afraid you were going to turn into a crazy killer. But i'm not sure what i'll do with you timid like this though. I really need to fight too being the leader in all" She smiled.

"My name's Celeste!" I shouted as my mother froze with the words 'oh shit' right on the edge of her lips as everyone turned to me slowly, confused, and knowing looks on their face. They all knew something I didn't know. "Shit." My mother whispered her insane seeming perspective lessening her hand running a crossed her forehead as she looked at me. "Ever been on the battlefield before?" She asked withdrawing the one named Liset's weapon. I took in a deep breath, nodding my head slowly as she gingerly considered handing me a weapon. "I need my main squadron of guards. Now." She stated as everything reassembled from the mass chaos.

"We're going to talk later." Her voice was calm and collected as I couldn't help but nod feeling the fear run threw me, because frankly? With a parent looking at you like that...it was all you could do. To ignore the look of disappointment, fear, a mixture of some emotion you didn't understand, and a few others you wish you didn't. I watched as four of the "bodyguards" came near me but not touching, making sure they were a safe distance away acknowledging that I really didn't understand what was going on. I watched the fifth one never taking my eyes off of him from behind his cloak. He was becoming the front of the pack, practically making sure the other's didn't have to do anything at all. That was until a gun bullet almost hit him in the middle of hand to hand. Someone pulled a weapon slowly out of their pocket, an accuracy pistol. The shot was fired right a crossed the room a sickening scream echoing throughout the place as I glance at the cloaked guy who had barely dodged, his hood had falling off his head. I felt my eyes go unnecessarily wide as I stared at whom I didn't expect to be under the hood. Cobra.

I glanced down towards him, everything was still his eyes didn't even show a trace of guilt as he picked himself up from the floor. Suddenly I felt something fast and quick jam itself into my abdomen, my feet removing themselves from the floor. It was Cobra's shoulder, Cobra was carrying me towards the exit at the quickest pace that I had ever seen the bartender move from ever before. I glanced up towards the end of the hallway where someone was locking their shotgun upon Cobra's opposite shoulder, removing the safety slowly, a sadistic smile tracing their lips as they licked them, their finger preparing to move quickly to the trigger. "Down! Down Cobra!" I shrieked as I got a quick glance both left and right which could've been him checking directions or telling me "No." I moved my hand towards where his neck met the back of his head shoving him down where he had no choice but to drop into a crouch shooting me an angry look that said _"now's not the time for whatever you're asking" _I took a deep breath and then glanced towards the shooter it had only been seconds I shoved him to the ground. "When I say down, you get down!" I shouted. I wasn't going to see someone important to me get shot. Not again. Not when I could've saved them. "Let's get out of here." Cobra said as I nodded watching as he crawled out the door. I followed him as quickly as possible. I watched as Cobra pulled some keys out of his pocket inserting them into his red corvette. "What about everyone else?" I whispered remembering my mother was in there, sounding like she was having the time of her life when I was out of sight. "Don't care. Get in the car, quickly." Cobra said as I nodded. It wasn't exactly the stage break I had imagined but this would due. We both got into the car quickly but precautiously as Cobra didn't even wait for us to finish buckling out seatbelts as he hit the gas pedal although the way down to the floor. My heart pounded out of my chest as I watched people run outside the building guns firing after us. "In the cupboard! Grab the gun. I'm driving do you know how to use it?" He shouted as I slammed the door in front of me open my shaking hands pulling out the heavy metal artillery. My breathing automatically becoming staggering. "Oh put it back, you'll just end up losing your head like that." Cobra muttered swerving so one of the bullets wouldn't come thru the back window. "That'll be expensive to fix." He justified as I nodded opening the window as I wrapped the seat belt around my foot, pulling the gun out the window first as I sat on the edge. "You better be the best damn driver since the invention of the boat." I shouted at him as I got a "you know i'm even better than that!" from inside the car. Well at least he was feeling well enough to joke. I felt all the wind swish throughout my hair. "Time to prove something." I whispered placing the gun on top of the car for support as I looked down the pistol, not my first time. My first time I couldn't figure out how to get the safety off and it had ended in a completely embarrassing session where I wasn't allowed outside the house without a bodyguard. I gulped down air. This time...at the end of my pistol...was the responsibility for someone else's life. The gun suddenly felt heavier as I looked towards my target, I was dead on. I could've killed them in an instant. I took a deep breath pressing my hand to the trigger. Imagining that one of them was the one that had shot Rogue. This would be easy, this _should've _been easy. I was running for my life, I should've been desperate. Not gulping down air and considering penalties later. I didn't have time for that. I glanced towards the balcony over their heads. "You get them already?" Cobra shouted, I could feel his hand surrounding my right leg. He was bracing me, probably terrified that I was going to fall out of the car. This wasn't what he meant when I pulled out the car, but I didn't hear any complaints from him. I assumed those complaints were being saved for later since he was too busy driving.

I pulled the trigger. Not once nor twice. I pulled it three whole times on the third time my foot slipped from the seat as I watched the chasers scatter screaming and confused as things shattered down from above. I felt myself fall, my eyes glancing towards the pavement as the car swerved, Cobra had let go of the wheel completely, but not the gas. As he pulled me in the car quickly. It hurt and was completely uncomfortable being pulled back into the car but I wanted to place my money on that than the other option. I let myself catch my breath as Cobra regained control of his car. "Precious little thing." Cobra smiled tapping on his wheel. If we weren't in a city like this I wanted to put my money on that he would've been the most famous street racer that anyone had ever seen. "So..." I started as an awkward silence passed between us. "Have you told Kinana that you're in a gang?" I whispered mentioning the name of his girlfriend and the word gang in the same sentence was feared as a no-no for what I believed to be eons. Cobra sighed actually slowing down at the red light, it echoed off his face making the situation seem slightly creepy, but at least a bit comforting. The car provided a false sense of security blocking out everything from reality and what was lurking on the streets right outside those timid metal doors, I rolled up the window. "Not exactly...well so to say she doesn't actually remember..it was before-she was hospitalized by SaberTooth.." Cobra explained as I nodded slowly.

"Why would someone like them go after someone like her? I mean-"

"That she doesn't hold any power? Not even family wise? Exactly what I asked when the _"cavalry" _showed up at my house." Cobra explained taking a left turn towards my apartment building. "They explained that they were after her eyes...of all things...they wanted to rip her beautiful eyes out for some kind of alchemist experiment." I felt a shiver run down my spine. "_SO pretty, but this isn't what I want." _The voice whispered almost alluring with their sadistic voice. I glanced back at Cobra who was continuing his explanation. "So soon after that I had several gangs after me, some fearful of me becoming a monster that would take them down, replace their leader, and lead them into battle with SaberTooth for vengeance while others hoped they could get SaberTooth's side if they could kill their wanted criminal. The truth was SaberTooth was glad to be rid of someone as creepy as that. Although they wouldn't show it. They had some lackeys try to make a deal with me if they were to leave my _turf,-_ a laugh came out of Cobra, it was dark but something seemed humorous to him about the mess he had made causing some to fear him. Someone gentle and caring like him.-my turf and not touch anyone who belonged to me if I just agreed to do the same." He explained. I raised an eyebrow waiting for a reply to it. "You know what I did. I wooped their asses and told them they were on my eligide turf and no deal they could give me would give me my sight back nor Kinana's feeling of safety." Cobra said as I sighed. I shouldn't of expected better unless people were walking up with something even better than all the president's and king's in histories protection combined together it wasn't worth endangering the life of Kinana. Not for anyone. "But that doesn't explain why you're with the lunar gang." I murmured as Cobra nodded slowly the car was moving again, I had barely noticed while in the middle of this **all important **discussion. "Right after I beat everyone the LunarStar gang showed up and made a deal...they wanted me to watch over one of their two daughters _twins_," Cobra cast his eyes over me quickly waiting to see how I would react to being told I was being kept in the dark and probably a complete idiot for not realizing that both her parents led a gang, he was supposed to be my personal bodyguard, _and _I had a twin sister. I glanced back at him, something inside of me _needed _him to finish the story. "As they approached there was something alluring about the way they were asking. I asked them and if I say "no" they both simply shrugged "we'll put our people on it and you'll have to deal with protecting your precious Kinana yourself." was a smile. Not some witty remark about how I needed them, no this was something indifferent...and I liked it." He smiled slowing down we were almost to my house, almost out of time. Cobra didn't want to go in, I could feel it, he wanted to rush home and check on Kinana since his identity was revealed at the battle. "okay, last question...maybe two" I started unbuckling slowly. "Have you ever met my sister?" I asked as he shrugged obviously not caring. "She wasn't my responsibility She's the older on by the way." He laughed as I nodded pinning up my second question. "How did you decide that you were going to be guarding me?" I asked slowly wondering what kind of allure I held that he would actually say yes to guarding me. "Of all things." He smiled he was almost cackling. "Fate. They wanted fate to decide. They put both your names into a hat written over one hundred and eighty five times and the one name I pulled out would be the one I guarded." He smiled as I felt a laugh also bubble in my throat finally getting the joke. It was morbid, but funny at the same time. In a town like this. Something that decided if I lived or died my whole life. Was decided by "fate". "Remind me to thank fate one day for loving me." I laughed as he nodded unlocking the car as I stepped out.

"Run into that house and lock those windows and doors. Call me before you let anyone in. Got it?" He asked as I nodded taking a deep breath before I made a mad dash inside locking the door behind me. I did a quick sweep of all the rooms, checking behind each door, in each cabinet, within each crevice, locked all the doors, and all the windows, then plopped down on the couch in the living room.

It smelled like smoke, it smelled like Rogue. "_Let's face it, he's dead." _A voice whispered in my head. "Ow..." I whispered looking at my arm where a bullet had ripped past which I barely managed to hide from Cobra. I could barely move my arm, but that didn't stop the adrenaline from stopping the pain, at least for a little bit. I walked back to the bathroom attempting to treat it. The house had, had an echo of quiet to it. Not like it had before, when Sting and Rogue were around instead the house was an ominous quiet. I slid myself down pressing to the cabinet doors, this was only a scratch it shouldn't of hurt so much. It was barely anything at all. I finally let the images flow back to me. Sting screaming looking for help, he seemed so much like a child, desperate for help, not yet understanding what this world really was like, as Rogue was lying there. The looks in his eyes previously telling me that he was going to _try _to scold my later for disobeying him and running off without him. I let a sob escape my wrists as I looked at the marks turning purple around my wrists and ankles. I placed myself against the wall. Sobbing for a good half an hour before I stood up, my legs were shaky, and I stood up too fast everything was practically purple and I was dizzy. "Normal, this is normal." I whispered I would go into the kitchen and make dinner. That's what I would do I would make at least three bowls-one bowl. Three bowls were too many. I looked towards myself wondering how long the chloroform had knocked me out for remembering the faint whispers of "you didn't kill her with too much of that stuff did you?" I needed to find a calendar. A digital one. The written ones wouldn't help at this current moment in time. I slowly unlocked the locked bathroom door out of habit walking towards the kitchen where I passed the calendar X's and notes written all over it in Sting's handwriting.

"Rogue got shot. Celeste went missing." Written within the same day. "Rogue hospitalized, Celeste still missing. He's going to kill me when he wakes up." was written on the next day. Each day for at least three or four days was written in great detail while a list of searched places was near there. I felt tears press their way to my face but there wasn't time for that as the doorbell rang. I glanced through the window slowly moving the curtain so they wouldn't see me. Slowly and gingerly I propped the front door open. "Dad?" I whispered staring up at the man I thought I had trusted my whole life but was instead the leader of a gang I was constantly afraid of. "Hey honey, your mom called she said we need to talk."

"You can't have a civil war inside my home." I said quickly reacting out of survival instinct instead of family instincts.

"Your house believe it or not is a neutral zone."

"I need to call Cobra first."

"you do that honey, I bet he told you already though didn't he?"

"You stay right there. If you move from that spot i'll call the police." I instructed as my dad laughed at me. It sounded so sincere but also sounded like I had just done something cute. I didn't have time for cute. I called Cobra quickly who said "yeah let him in, if your mom shows up let her in. Just make sure they leave separately." Cobra explained as I nodded than actually said "yes, okay." Than hung up the phone returning to open the deadlock were another person was outside tapping their foot. "Honey, did you change the locks while we were gone?" My mother asked a key against her skin as I nodded. "It wasn't enough anymore...plus, it sort of broke." I explained as they both nodded like they understood a flash of gult echoing in their eyes before they returned to being my parents.

"Mommy and Daddy had to get a divorce sweety." Mom begun explaining to me like I was a small child all over again. I sighed. "Mom. I'm seventeen. I've seen a fair amount of shit happen in my last week. I made a good friend who ga-is possibly in the hospital right now-for me. Another who had the loyalties of a lion, found out about so much dirt. And I work at the red light district for goodness sake. I got stalked down, I saw a murder-two, and went on a wild goose chase to find a murderer who we aren't even sure is the same one." I sighed as they both looked at me.

"I think i've grown up enough to at least go _what the hell is going on around here?!" _I felt the need to shout come out but it curled itself in as I pulled them both into a hug. "Oh my god, I thought you two were dead. My parents can be so stupid." I stuttered as my parents let me sit there sobbing and working out what had happened on my own. "We won't be able to come back to see you anymore." One of them whispered I wasn't sure which one as I let them go slowly, my ears were too blocked by the crying. "O-k, ok ok ok...um what about my sister? Do I ever get to meet her?" I stuttered as they both glanced at each other shrugging.

"She kind of has her own set of rules she'll come home when she wants...we'll tell her that...someone wants to meet her." My mom sighed as I nodded I knew that was the last I was going to get out of her. "You can come back home anytime...remember I love you." I whispered as they both nodded suddenly seeming young and frail at the same time eve old and worn out. The front door swung open as Sting carried a limping Rogue inside. "I can get it...you're making me limp." Rogue's voice grumbled as I swung around staring at them who looked up at me wide-eyed. They both checked me over quickly not assessing the situation. Only assessing me. Tear stained eyes, pushing a reddened bloody cloth to my gun shot arm, struggling to stand, wrists and ankles that were turning purple from the chains and ropes wrapped around them. "If you're the one's who did that i'll kill you." Sting shouted as he let go of Rogue who ran over to me moving me out of the commotion. "Stop! Sting they're my parents!" I shouted as he stopped his fist several inches away from my father's face. "But they're, they're the Lunar and Star gangs. Its our job to protect you Celeste...even these people are bad for you, even if they are your parents." Sting's voice came of edge and unsure, possibly unstable. I glanced towards Rogue who hadn't let me go, I wanted to sink into his warmth, it was so calming, but also extremely unnerving with my parents watching every single detail of everything, "I called Cobra, he said make sure they leave separately." I stated as they nodded.

"Will do honey, we just wanted to talk to our precious daughter."

"Bullshit, you would've done that long ago, the wonderful condition you guys are in." Sting was calling their bluff as my mother laughed. "Now exactly where were you when Cobra and I were pulling that girl out of a jail cell from who know's what? Where were you when this girl had everything from knives to guns to other people's lives in her hands tonight...nowhere. Nowhere to be seen so don't you go playing the hero!" My mother laughed. "I don't trust you, you aren't as good as Cobra.. you aren't there when she actually needs you." My mother continued as I struggled to get air. So far that was proving to be true. "Thank you for protecting my daughter. Please continue to do so." My dad said, leaned towards Rogue whispering something in his ears, nodding to both boys than leaving.

"Always like him, a man with such few words." My mother grumbled, waved a goodbye, and left.

"Did I just...did my parents just walk out on me?" I whispered plopping down on the couch again. Sting fled to the kitchen obviously trying to hide his hurt man-pride. My parents were right. And that probably hurt him more than anything. That he hadn't been able to protect either of us for the last several days. "You look so pale." Rogue whispered sitting down next to me slowly as I nodded wondering when the last time I had food was. I didn't know but it was beginning to hurt to the point I wanted to cry over it. I pulled the towel away, just a flesh wound. Maybe I had gotten it from the car and _not_ the bullet. That was a question for another day. I sighed and glanced towards Rogue who only uttered a "shh" sound pulling me into the warm embrace of his, it was tight, as if someone who almost just got robbed grip's would be. As if they were afraid of something precious. Something they _needed, _disappearing. "You idiot. You should've quit smoking long ago. Than I wouldn't of been worried so much!" I scolded him as he nodded slowly understanding what I was actually scolding him for. My fingers were becoming stiff from holding onto his jacket as steps echoed into the room.

"Um...dinner's done." Sting's voice echoed into the room as I felt my eyes shoot up so fast it almost felt like I was glaring at him. "I-um...I'm sorry." He sighed as I glared harder he glanced away obviously not understanding what I wanted. "Get your ass over here." I growled as he padded slowly towards me. It wasn't the way I expected him to react at all, I looked up at him as Rogue was about to let go so he could talk to his "brother" as I pulled them both down into a death grip hug. "I'm going to kill you both! Idiots! Who told you guys you could spend the day out getting shot!" I yelled my hand within both of their hair keeping them there. I loosened my grip a little as they begun struggling. "Celeste, you're suffocating me." Sting grumbled a pink hue on his face already. "If I let go how am I going to kill you?" I laughed as they both nodded the mood seeming to lighten up a bit. "Let's go get dinner, everyone needs to eat than sleep." Master-planner Sting said as we all nodded slowly in reply moving to the kitchen. Sting set the bowls on the table carefully as if he was afraid the kitchen would burst into fire any second. We all were. This was the first meal that Sting was capable of making without suppressing need to call the ever not present fire company. I picked up the _Mac-&-Cheese_ eating as I pretending not to pay attention to Sting and Rogue's eyes occasionally gazing upon my wrists than pretending to not even be looking at me. "It's okay...I had it handled." I muttered as they both nodded slowly. They were worrying about something I didn't understand I glanced towards the papers lying in the other room, we didn't have time to sleep. "We don't have time to sleep." I whispered glancing at the papers hanging on the wall. "I've got to find them." I whispered pushing myself up from the table as Sting forced me to sit back down. "Not now, we need a break."

"But they're out there killing people."

"You sound like an overworked cop." The last person to say anything was Rogue. I glanced towards him. In a place like this...he knew what a _real_ cop acted like. That was something almost amazing.

"We can't read these things properly if we don't sleep." I nodded as he let go, washed my bowl, and headed towards the bed. Double checking the duct-taped windows. I changed into a spaghetti strapped low-cut light blue night gown quickly proceeding with crawling into bed slowly letting a flood of relief wash over me as something was dropped outside my door, at the moment in time I didn't even really care, if Sting and Rogue broke something they would either hide it or fix it...good enough for me for now. I smiled. This house was a safe place for us. And we would keep it that way. I felt at peace resting my head against my pillow. It was so nice to finally be home once again, everything seemed nice and fine. "So...basically...which one are you banging?" Der Meister's voice echoed in my head as I placed my head into a pillow. I did totally _not_ want to have a conversation in my head with fake figment or even real Der Meister at this point. Not even in my head. If I thought about it properly even though he seemed kind of like a nice guy his obsession with who I liked more made me uncomfortable to the point I was terrified of what he would've done if I told him I wasn't interested in either of the guys. Actually that was a lie...I moved my arms under the pillow a frown forming on my face. It wasn't like I _wasn't _interested but Sting seemed more like a player than anything and Rogue...well he was just Rogue...and he couldn't even like me if I begged him. "_Totally lying! Come on that guy has made it clear out for you __**more than once!" **_Der Meister's voice laughed as I rolled my eyes. At this point in time I didn't need counseling on my sex life. I was a healthy seventeen year old. Something like that was unnecessary. I felt myself blush fiercely as I remembered the other occasions where Rogue had pushed me against the wall kissing me...but that meant nothing to him. He was just using something like that to control me. To tell me not to go to work-he had been right-but I didn't want to admit that, "_Come on. You know there's another time." _Der Meister's creation of a voice laughed at me coughing hysterically as I felt myself blush. "No. No." I smiled to myself as the flash of the other situations flashed to me mind. When he was holding my hip when I was followed by a stalker, no that was normal he was worried about a "friend" "_Friend with benefits! Now use them!" _Der Meister's voice laughed hysterically as I felt the need to beat my head off of a pillow. Of all people's voices to get stuck in my head it had to be Mr. Bad-Influences' voice. "_What about when you said the word __**intentions?**__ Doesn't that mean he has weird intentions?" _Der Meister's voice asked as I groaned glancing towards the side of my bed to double check that this guy wasn't actually there. Maybe the reason I was actually kidnapped wasn't to be held for ransom but instead given a lecture about not making a move on either of them yet even though they were both right there. I closed my eyes blinking back the memory that kept a red blush right on my face from when I was working in the red light district the other night remembering turning around expecting Cobra to be overprotective and pissed that someone had actually gotten drunk in his joint: _ Instead it was Rogue glaring at the person to the point I was afraid the other man might've burned to the ground. "Don't touch her." The words came off him as a growl erupted threw his throat. "Why? Were you planning on taking her for yourself?" The drunk man said regaining his composure and standing up straight, slowly, but steadily. "And if I was?" I felt Rogue's grip suddenly wrap around my waist tighter, his eyes shooting like daggers with a dark coldness...like...like-like someone who's killed before. _Der Meister's voice sighed. _"Come on! I may be a man but even I know that was at least a little bit sexy!" _his voice shouted as I threw my pillow over my head. "Shut up Der Meister." I grumbled.

The room was dark...like right back into the cell where I had woken up early an evening maybe two evenings ago. I gulped down air pressing back tears...that huge rescue...the boys walking in and everything being okay...that was a lie...my head was lying to me telling me that everything was alright. I pushed my hand up off of the tile kitchen floor. I wasn't in a jail cell- where was I? I glanced around looking towards other bodies lying a crossed the floor. Mangled, destroyed...still alive as they glanced around wildly, in pain...confused. I suppressed the urge not to gag and wind up puking up all over the floor. "Don't touch my family you bitch!" Someone screamed as in the hallway a shadow swung a chair down upon another seemingly small female form, hard. "Oh silly, they're all already dead." A cute little voice smiled back as I glanced towards the tile floor not wanting to know as I heard a man's blood curling scream throughout the house. I pressed myself to the floor feeling disgusted with the liquid that was overflowing on to my face as suddenly someone kicked me over. I attempted to look at dead as possible but apparently my hyperventilating was extremely obvious here. "Looks like I missed one." Someone smiled her hair still sticking out now it was braided so the dyed blonde looped up into the brown as her green eyes shone in the dark. With malice. Their personally was written all over their sadistic face. "Don't mind me, I like that sudden echo in your eyes that wasn't there before...are you being possessed? Gosh that'd be cool!" The girl said going to sit down at my level. I moved my eyes down if eyes were what she was after I wouldn't let her get a good look at mine. "Too bad I'm not interested." I felt a foot bring itself down upon my head. "Worst choice ever, how dare you invade one of my victims and give her hope." The foot pushed my head around as I attempted to get up. "I'm sick of dying every night!" I screamed picking up a baseball bat and attempting to swing. "Honey, I've been in more fights than that body. You are so screwed." The girl smiled, her hood miraculously. "What's you're name?" I growled pressing my hands to the floor as she laughed the sounds of metal clinking. "It doesn't matter you'll be dead before tomorrow." She laughed as I glanced up towards her trying to breath a name that I didn't quite understand as I felt a sharp pain glide down my back. "I think I'll torture you till morning. It can't be illegal right? It's not even your body!" The girl laughed bringing me up as I felt bile rise in my throat I didn't know the way out I could feel my feet dangling slightly above the tile-floor completely confused. She was definitely only a little taller than me, _in life. _I had no idea how tall I really was. "I mean our laws shouldn't apply to someone like you." The voice was almost joyous as it laughed, it made me want to gag. "Oh gosh I get to kill the same person twice!" She was like a girl in a candy store. "Or is it two people? Am I killing two people? Or just one since the other is already dead?" She muttered out loud as I could feel this girl's heart pulsing. She was watching like she was stuck in her own body. I felt cold shiver down my back, that was a disgustingly uncomfortable thought. I kicked the girl in the gut no longer concerned with trying to find out her identity instead I had to make sure that this host lived. No matter what. It wasn't fair that I was stealing her last seconds with her family away from her. I watched her keel over, barely, before I made a mad dash outside the window. Hopefully this girl would think the second conscience was the need to survival when I finally returned to my own body. I dashed down the road until something pounced on me, I hit the curb, head first-everything went black.

I curled my hand around my blanket a single light on still in the hall. They were just outside. I needed to call the cops. I let a staggering breath out, which must've been pretty loud since there was a sudden rustling throughout the hallway. "I've got to call the cops." I sobbed stumbling up and reaching for my phone as Rogue opened the door slowly. "Celeste are you okay?" He asked as I flinched away. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house!" I shouted yet at the same time it wasn't me that was shouting, it was someone else. "Oh my god! Where!? Who am I?" My voice shrieked as Rogue approached carefully. "You're in a girl named Celeste's body...she'll...um return shortly stay calm." Rogue explained carefully as the girl begun screaming. "That's-that's not possible!"

"It happens threw the subconscious she just had more power than most people, its like being stronger track member except to do with the brains technical waves." He was going with the scientific explanation as the girl started screaming. "Than that girl is in my body! How am I going to be able to protect my family like this!" She screamed suddenly toning out as I felt myself breathe loudly. It was hot in my room. And I was confused. "Celeste?" I nodded mouthing 'Rogue' as he nodded, hesitated and then picked me up before bringing me back to bed. "Celeste you need your sleep." He said as I shook my head.

"No. Not back there...not there...that girl." I shivered remembering the feeling of a knife carving "pretty little pictures" in my back because the sun hadn't come up yet. "That girl was already dead before you even woke up in her body." Rogue explained as I shivered.

"No...she was alive...I could feel her heartbeat." I stuttered as Rogue shook his head.

"That was your own...it echoed from back here as you're starting to realize what's happening when you 'wake up' in your dreams." He explained going to leave as I grabbed his sleeve.

"I want these to stop..." I whispered feeling tears rushing to my face as he sat down on the bed pulling me into a hug, not saying a word. Not making promises he knew he wouldn't be keeping. Not saying that everything was going to be fine. Instead he was sitting there quietly stroking threw my hair. "We can only hope they'll stop once we catch this chick." He said as I nodded knowing that if my voice came out it would be shaky and feeble. He pulled my arms up towards his face as he examined my wrists. There was silence as he obviously stared at the bruises. I moved my feet pulling up my socks so that he wouldn't be able to see the damage around my ankles. "How long were you th-I won't let this happen again." He whispered pulling me closer my wrists pressed to his forehead as I shut my eyes.

"How about we play a game?" I asked as he nodded apparently curious in what I was planning. "I'll ask you something no one else knows while I'll tell you something that no one else knows about me back?" I questioned waiting for his immediate denial. "Alright." A small breath that almost sounded like a laugh came out of him. "But you go first since it is your game." he smiled as I realized I had walked into his trap.

"Okay..." I smiled looking towards the ceiling trying to think of something simple to start.

"When I was younger in school I filled the entire bathroom with bubbles. After that I ran to the teacher screaming that I threw up but it was weird, they replied why and I brought them in there and they continued to ask what they were looking for so I told them '_I'm a unicorn I throw up bubbles" _A quiet smirk brimmed from his smile. It was so alluring the tips of my nails just simply wanted to reach up there and brush his skin, it was all I wanted to do. "Your turn" I teased back as he rolled his eyes adjusting to a more comfortable position as he was deep in thought laughter still glittering behind his eyes. "Alright...well when I was little I used to live with my mom. I followed her everywhere until she started having meetings with a strange family I didn't really understand. This is when I first met Sting. While I was walking around searching for my mom I loved to hold on to this teddy bear that freaked everyone out. My mom you see wasn't the best at sewing things..but loved to do it anyway." He smiled as I nodded listening intently, he leaned slowly over to my ear brushing my hair out of the way. "I still have it." He teased as I felt a smile press its way to my lips. "_That's absolutely adorable." _I smiled as a light hue hit his face he hadn't expected me to say something like that. Actually I had been planning on teasing him about it, but it was just too cute to pass up. "I guess its my turn again." I smiled it was time to take it up a notch, I had to go from cute to secretive. I glanced at his beautiful eyes that glowed as they looked me want...it simply made me want so bad I curled the strange feelings in my fingertips that begged me to. "You were my first kiss." I let it slip out without even thinking about it as my hands quickly came back to covering my mouth, instantly feeling the heat shimmering off my face in a glow of red as he pulled away my hands. "And that wasn't the last." He smiled, it was a flash and then suddenly he was on top of me, his hair surrounding my face as he perfectly managed to keep it out of his way as he grabbed my chin pulling it up more, leaning down and pressing his lips to my own as I let out a sudden gasp feeling his arms reach towards my own. I wasn't even sure how to respond to such a situation, his warm passionate kiss as I broke away. "No, no. Your turn." I managed to break free as he looked as disappointed as I felt. My heart curled as I felt like I just stepped on someone's two week old puppy. His hand was tight around my head as I felt him pull me closer. "I'm desperate-" He paused leaning into my ear going to whisper as his lips brushed my ear tickling me as a giggle escaped something that would've caused me to back away causing him to come closer. "-for the one in my arms right now." He whispered as I looked up at him feeling a feeling of heat rush up my face. I should've said something than. I should've known what to say..I reached my hands up to his face, slowly, as if asking permission, and then moved them down his back. "I think...I might be feeling the same thing." I whispered. "I...I desperately want to touch you. My fingertips buzz when I look at you..I can't-I can't let anyone else have you." I whispered that was it and everything was off-well almost everything. I was still in my underwear as he stopped himself his hands' warmth against my back his finger tracing around a strap and although he was shirtless he still had his jogging pants on without any socks warm feet tracing around my own. "I can't do this, you aren't even eighteen yet...you're seventeen...I'm eighteen." He pulled away as my fingers desperately tried to stay in their positions. I felt a frown appear on my face as he turned us over from our position slipping his shirt back over me. I glared up at him I could feel it on my face, puffed cheeks, I was definitely looking like a spoiled rich child. "It's not fair to tease people like that." I grumbled. As he sighed back, a smile suppressed under his hand. "Well, you'll have to wait...because i'm going to tease you a whole lot from now on." He smiled pressing his head into my hair still holding me close. "It's your turn." He was definitely smiling.

"Teaser." I grumbled thinking of something that I hadn't told anyone...I had something. Something I had to talk to everyone about later. But it would have to work for now. It seemed secretive at this moment in time.

"There's a possibility I have a sister"

"What's she like"

"I don't know but apparently she's a psychotic murderer"

I waited threw the awkward silence

"Tell me something about you" I finally said as he sighed in return.

"How about my past?" It seemed hesitant as if he wasn't ready to talk. I nodded.

"When I was younger-before I met Sting- I got bullied a lot, but there was a reason behind it. It started a little while after my mother started taking care of our neighbor Amelia, she was mostly a friend. Mom just told me to think of her like a younger sister. So I did. I went everywhere with her, she even pretended sometimes that the teddy bare I carried around was her's and I was the sweetest older brother ever to protect me." Rogue explained as I tilted my head. Bullying someone over something like protecting your sister or carrying a teddy bear was usually taken care of almost immediately. "Over something like that?" I asked guessing that he was explaining something around elementary school age. "No. It wasn't like that. There is more." He sighed as I nodded. "When I was around ten we had been living with her for two or three years now, her parents hadn't come home a single time threw that. Which around where we were...wasn't actually common." He thought to add the description of disappearing parents wasn't the "norm" around where he was living. "My mother had become worried occasionally out on long walks which I would later learn it was to find Amelia's mother. She came back home sobbing and confused sometimes, sometimes with other people with her, they were searching desperately. Of those several times I had met Sting once or twice." Rogue explained as I nodded showing that I was still paying attention although he could probably feel my need to suppress a yawn. He didn't stop his story only continued it as if he didn't say anything it was something that would never get finished. "One night I woke up for the first time in the middle of the night, I wasn't like other children having all their nightmares...instead I woke up screaming that Amelia was dead. Unlike how you woke up the first couple nights screaming and confused...I didn't even understand what I was saying for half the next two or three days. When my mom decided to check on her to tell me everything was alright showing me that Amelia and her caretaker were fast asleep. I looked in the room covered and matted in blood. And that's where it all began." Rogue whispered brushing my hair as if he was about ready to tell me to go to bed or that it wasn't a story I actually wanted to hear. I _needed _to hear it. Even if I didn't want to hear it. I wanted to know the ending, even though I knew right now was the ending. "News traveled fast and my mother was in a mass panic about how her son had already knew they were dead. The children were at school started calling me stuff like mutant freak and telling me to go join the x-men." He explained as a frown came to my face.

"I always liked those movies-"

"it's alright, I told him it'd still be cooler than what he was going to grow up to be...then added the unnecessary comment of jailbait. Everyone in school was after me then...and I was completely friendless without Amelia. My mother was constantly out trying to get her son guidance so that he wouldn't have to see something like thi-that ever again."

I tilted my head "_did it work?"_

A frown came to his face. "Sadly no. I got to experience it all over again another two or three years later barely thirteen." He explained as I nodded. "I didn't understand it but I told my mother a group of people were coming for us and she immediately became afraid, she had fallen ill a while before that but she was doing her best to survive...when the people came in my mother hid me in the closet, called Sting's dad, and left with the people...she was found dead the next morning. The people who were caught made their statements of the motive. "_All's we wanted was her son for a bit she would've been able to have him back soon...we just wanted to track __**everyone else**__ so that we could survive" _i became bait of the town and soon Sting's dad realized this hurried to my place where he simply picked me up and fled with Sting asking a billion and one questions while tailing behind at record pace." Rogue paused to see if I was still understanding the timeline. I nodded in assurance. "Sting was soon part of my life. We were great together. But everything turned for the worst for the both of us soon after that." He said as I moved around trying to get a better more comfortable position. He begun again. "Soon after that sting and I were getting along pretty fine. Everything was happy for about another year or two we were almost fifteenth already, I was beginning to like Mr. Weisslogia and open up to them." Rogue paused thinking over a way to explain that as I smiled nodding that he could continue the story. "When everything seemed alright for the first time in my life, as if no one was going to disappear on me Sting and I were having the best time walking home from school. He had challenged me to a race, insisted that he was going to have muscles that would be so amazing that even his dad would smile looking at him. So that's what we did. We raced home everyday. Sting usually one. But there was one day where he was too far ahead I couldn't catch up. When I finally did it was outside our latest apartment building. Sting was just standing there staring in a completely confused look on his face." I felt Rogue's arm become tighter as if he was beginning to regret having to tell the story as memories resurfaced in his mind. "I just stared at him standing there in the door, with a face on that I didn't understand...and yet it was a face I knew at the same time. Someone was saying something to him that all came out in a fuzz in my ears as I approached towards him, happily finally making it home, when he suddenly grabbed my arm and dragged me down the stairs not looking back. We hadn't gone back there since." Rogue was silent for a moment and I understood what that meant. It meant that Weisslogia had perished. Rogue picked up continuing his story. "I later found out after going thru several letters that Weisslogia had passed from our neighbor, sweet woman she was always missing a few marbles though, the reason that Sting's father was killed was because of me. It was because they were after my powers all over again, a different gang had heard the news and decided to test out their luck." He sighed as my hands tightened attempting to become fists. "Are you always running like this?" I whispered as he nodded. "I think this is the longest time we've been in one place since then. Sting is hesitant about more than a week. We should be leaving soon. He'll probably have us leaving as soon as we finish researching this case and as soon as I can move again without the pain from the g-you know what I mean." He explained as I nodded slowly, remembering that his injury was actually my fault.

A frown forming on my face. Maybe it would've been better if I were the one who got-"Don't think that." He said tilting my chin back, if felt like he was _teasing me _that he was going to kiss me like he had before.

"But-"

"I can see it written all over your face, your currently wishing you were the one who got shot. Don't. You weren't in the condition for that."

"Neither were you! You were hacking up a lung already!"

"Celeste. Things like that aren't thing you can control. Please don't look at me with those beautiful guilty looking eyes." He whispered running his hand over my cheek then into my hair as I nodded slowly. Just because I was nodding didn't mean I wasn't going to think of ways that the whole situation in general could've been avoided until I realize that it all wound up my fault. "You two are going to disappear..." I whispered as he sighed.

"I could suggest it to Sting, but he'll probably say no. I'll suggest that we could take you with us?" He suggested as I looked towards him. He had no reason to doubt it, I didn't go to school to begin with, the house was barely paid for any way, my family had all walked out on me probably a little less than two hours ago, and the only one's I would have to worry about panicking was Cobra and my boss. Maybe Kinana she was sweet but I barely knew her. I would just have to talk to Cobra after he was done flipping out. There wasn't much that I wanted to keep-who was I kidding? My family memories resided in this building and I was ready to throw it all away at the drop of a hat. That was a lie, I wasn't ready to throw it all away, there was still some part of me wishing my parents would come back, maybe with that mysterious sister that I somehow had that they managed to never tell me about in tow. Tell me "haha april fools we aren't actually gang leaders" then everything would be fine and they would explain how they were out trying to find my sister because they knew I had a twin and she wasn't **actually **a psychopath who rejoiced in all of the murder work that she had to do within her gang. But another part of me doubted that. I looked towards his hopeful eyes. The only thing I knew at the current moment in time was that I didn't want to be alone. "Please ask him to consider it." I said as he nodded then went back to his story. "I was shocked...when I asked Sting if he hated me instead he replied with that we were brothers from now we were going to have to take care of each other. Sting had protected me from more than I knew since that day." Rogue paused then let out a breath. "After that we vowed vengeance upon whoever had killed our parents." He explained as I nodded showing that I was still paying attention even though my eyelids had become heavy barely fluttering open, something that I didn't want to happen. _**Especially**_ since I didn't want to go back to that _**place.**_ "And that's how we came to such a city as this." Rogue sighed as I felt my eyes widen realizing something. Both these people were here by choice. That wasn't something I could even comprehend in my own mind. "Wait...you guys didn't start here?" I whispered as he looked at me as if he wasn't actually expecting me to still be listening. "Get some sleep _**my **_beautiful Star-Princess." He smiled.

Kissing me on the forehead.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Dude, you didn't!" A voice shrieked as I blinked my eyes open towards a bare-chest barely remembering what happened that night. "Rogue wake up, we need to talk. About something that might possibly be highly illegal!" Sting said rushing in and shaking Rogue, rapidly shaking Rogue like a small child would when they wanted their parents to wake up on Christmas morning. "Come on Rogue we're cops, she's seventeen and we're both eighteen almost nineteen!" Sting shook him. "I didn't touch her." Rogue's grumble came honestly as I looked down towards his shirt engulfing me, my nightgown on the floor. "That's not looking like the truth from here." Sting grumbled. I blinked at him what he was assuming was probably one of the most safe things in the entire town, but at the same time it made me blush feeling highly embarrassed that he was assuming that. "That may be common around here, but we both know better." Sting lectured as I glanced at him wondering why he was getting upset more than a normal person. "Look at how innocent she is Sting, I wouldn't of touched her." Rogue sighed in annoyance as Sting shot him another look that seemed like he was going to shake the hell out of Rogue, in a brotherly loving feared angry manner, after he stopped shaking him. If it was possible to have all those emotions at once. "Remember when we had that slow, long drawn out talk about claiming about weird fetishes?" Rogue nodded towards Sting who was still talking. "We are going to have that talk again." Sting continued as Rogue sighed one of his eyes sliding open as he glanced at Sting. Sting was starting to sound like normal goofy Sting and more like the grown up responsible person that Rogue was trying to be the entire time. "Really? Anyway why are you in here to begin with?" Rogue grumbled, not seeming happy about whatever the "talk" they were going to be having was going to be about, as Sting's ears lit up a bright hue. "Well...actually maybe it can wait till later." Sting stuttered letting go of Rogue and beginning to walk out as Rogue suddenly sat up. "Shit" He grumbled moving at a speed that would make me dizzy when I first get up. "What happened?" I grumbled slowly climbing out of bed watching him leave the room at a breakneck pace. "This _**isn't **_something that can wait till later!" The sound of Rogue's voice shouted from the kitchen as I placed the bottoms of my feet on the floor. "It was just breakfast! I wanted to make everyone pancakes then I couldn't find you where you usually sleep!" Sting's voice shouted back as I made my way to my door. "This is worse than normal!" Rogue's voice complained as I paced towards my kitchen as my eyes went wide.

The kitchen was covered in black smog. Not simply smog from a fire in the backyard or even a fog from early morning mildew...no, this smog...was black. Blacker than night. And it was filling the top of my kitchen. "What went wrong?" Rogue said trying to get to the bottom of the situation as he pulled water in buckets out of the bathroom keeping his composure obviously having to go threw this several times before. My kitchen sink wasn't working either. I took a cloth off of the stack of washcloths near the door which Rogue took from my hands placing water on half of it. "Keep it around your mouth." He explained as I nodded walking further in to see what could be salvaged. I flipped off the stove. Something I had learned from work when someone had forgot the exhaust was to always kill the power source. Control your fear and kill the powersource first. Or the entire stove, not could kill you, it _would _kill you. Sting opened the windows. "I'm telling you this time it isn't my fault! I turned the sink on!" Sting grumbled in reply trying to justify himself on what had just happened. Rogue shot him a quick look, dropping the bucket to the floor, without spilling a drop of water, and begun checking the sink over without the slightest bit of hesitation. Going throughout the sink, obviously looking for anything, looking for the source of the power. Trying to cut the power to whatever was causing this mess still. "Sting, you know better than to cook anything." Rogue scolded as Sting lit a hue again. "Well...well...you know better than to-" I shot him a look as he cut himself off. "I was just trying to help...I wanted to do something. I've been up all night feeling useless." Sting sighed as I glanced at him. Wondering what was bugging him. _"Where were you when Cobra and I were pulling that girl out of a jail cell from who know's what? Where were you when this girl had everything from knives to guns to other people's lives in her hands tonight...nowhere." _My mother had laughed at him. Telling him blantaly that he was useless. I glanced towards the calendar. He wasn't useless he was trying his hardest while also taking care of Rogue who got shot...Rogue who had gotten shot. _For me_. He was trying his hardest. While no one was watching. And someone had told him all he had done was absolutely useless. I looked at the floor as the fog started to clear out of the room. Sting punched a wall. "I can't even do something that simple!" He growled. Maybe his "man-pride" hurt wasn't the right word...maybe it was deeply wounded instead. "No. Sting you did a good job." Rogue sighed as Sting looked up from the floor towards his "brother" who was pulling some form of device out of the sink. "We've been sabotaged." I swallowed the cold hard truth quickly wondering if one of my parents had did that. Maybe my father with the quick way he left and the brief words he had said. But he had always been quiet, like he was always thinking something over. He wouldn't dare sabotage my house. There was no way. They had raised me so carefully to be a girl that would stay out of the messes like the one's that they were leading. And now I was in a world of confusion. "Who do you think did it?" I whispered quietly as Rogue shook his head obviously not knowing the answer. "There are many possibilities." Sting whispered standing at the far corner: far away from the stove. Obviously he had no luck with cooking, but now wasn't the time to be considering that. I looked at him waiting to continue the explanation. "It could've been a gang that discovered the LunarStar had another daughter...a less...gang ready daughter, it could've been the people who...took you trying to make sure you didn't return here and it could've been..." Sting became quiet looking at the floor. He earnestly didn't want to say it and I all knew we were thinking it. "You don't have to baby me...I know it could've been my parents. I've been thinking it all along wondering if they thought they had made a mistake and were trying to clean up the mess they made." I sighed as they both nodded slowly as if something was bothering both of them. "_Of course something's bothering them! They want to protect their friend and now you're in more danger! OF FLIPPING COURSE! You would've felt useless in the same situation." _Der Meister's voice echoed as I glanced around than back towards the bomb. "If its a dud we should probably disable it before anything else happens." I sighed as they both nodded in reply.

"Are you going to actually go to work today?" Sting asked, finally finishing fixing the sink so it was running again, as we all sat down at the kitchen table which was now covered in screwdriver, duct tape, and scissors. I watched as Sting's clumsy hands occasionally looked for an extra tool and Rogue slowly disassembled the bomb. "So to say this thing is still ticking how long until we all die?" I asked wondering how we could all sit there so calmly like we were having a meal staring at it. It was like the panic was what was making us actually become calm. Sting glanced at me quickly, a bewildered face on as if to say he didn't think of that while it seemed that Rogue didn't even acknowledge I said anything and just kept moving his hands to avoid the worst possible outcome. "Done." Rogue finally breathed setting it down on the table all over again, this time the thing was in pieces. He moved washing his sweaty hands. "He must've been panicked having our lives in his hands so obviously." I thought watching him as his shaking hands were being onslaught with water. I blinked realizing Sting was talking. "Oh sorry I was kind of zoned out." I started turning back to him as he rolled his eyes that said "whatever" in a sarcastic tone. As he begun talking again "I said are you planning on going to work today?" He asked as I nodded. "Of course why not?" I asked as he glanced at the table then back towards me. _"He will be able to make eye contact with you soon. Don't hold it against him_." Der Meister's voice whispered as I wished so badly I could just shake it out of my head. I heard Rogue shuffle out of the room behind me towards the front door. "Well I just thought-well whatever-but I'll escort you today Rogue has some personal business he has to attend." Sting muttered a pink hue lit a crossed his face as he talked to the wall to his left rather than me. I sighed he was doing his best not to stare at my wrists, I crossed my ankles, glancing back at him. This was probably going to be the first of many awkward days. "In the morning?" I asked eating the cereal I had liberated from the cabinet as he nodded "Both actually" he added as Rogue came back into the room. "Don't worry about it Sting. I've got it."

"But aren't you going to visit-"

"I said I've got it. And no I wasn't planning on visiting her anyway."

"Sure you weren't." Sting's voice came off as both sarcastic and edgy as Rogue simply sighed back to him ruffling something in his hands.

"Hey wait! What are you doing going through my mail!" I shouted jumping up as a faint barely visible pink lit his face as he tried to pull it away all of the papers falling to the floor, I squatted down quickly to pick all the papers up, praying that none of them were the bills. I couldn't let them know how far I had fallen behind on rent, electric, and even heating with the constantly raising prices. Safer houses were usually more expensive and my house was considered one of these "safer" houses in the district it was in. Although that was mainly because of my parents. I felt my fingers trace over a paper that Rogue was trying to swipe up off the floor and scurry away with. I was lucky that he was struggling with that feat because of the gunshot wound as I took the time to glance at whatever it was. It was one of the bills. I felt heat fluster my face as I looked towards it. It was the bill...completely paid debt and all, for the next two whole months. I glanced down towards the signature of the person who had paid the bill. It had Rogue's full name roughly scrawled onto the piece of paper. "You paid the bills!" I jumped up in a mixture of screaming and joy. "That's so embarrassing how could you! I had it handled!" I started, pounding on his chest like a little child, as his hands hovered over my arms unsure if he wanted to stop me or not. "Watch his stitches!" Sting yelled obviously not ready to spend more time in the hospital that what had to be done. "Thank you." I whispered looking at the floor. The truth was I had been panicked that I was never going to be getting it back. "I just figured that since we live here, especially uninvited, I would at least try to pay that bill." He sighed as I looked at the floor.

"...Your exempt from rent...you can't exactly work like that." I whispered remembering seeing bandages that he was trying to hide last night. "Its okay to let other people pay for you from time to time." Sting sighed from the kitchen table as I picked up the papers, the guys didn't seem to mind paying. They had even filled my barely empty fridge. "Okay...um, next time...we split it 50/50" I sighed unsure if that's what I should be saying if we were going to be leaving far far away soon. "25/25/25, I work around here too." Sting grumbled as I glanced at him thinking of his error in math, he had only halved 50, but I got the point after panicking that, that would leave us with 25 dollars or something remaining. "Celeste." Sting paused as I glanced at him wondering why he suddenly turned talkative on today. "Do you need anyone to walk you back and forth to school?" He asked as I suspected he was trying to ask me something. In private apparently. As I shook my head. "Sorry Sting, I don't go to school." As he glanced at me as if I had said something weird. "How long has it been since you've been in school?" Rogue asked setting down a mug in front of himself that I had no recollection of him making. "um...freshman year I think." I whispered as both the boys nodded slowly considering something. "If we were to do something like tutor her it'd be even farther back than expected." Sting sighed as I looked at the table not ready to let my years of schooling slip out of my mouth. People like that weren't after your lunch money. They wanted everything off your back and than some. "I've got to go get ready for the morning." I explained pacing towards my room suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion sweep over me, flashes of blurry images in my mind, I shook them off quickly heading to my room. The clothes were still laying about all over the floor as I sighed pulling something else from the draw. Getting dressed in formal pants and a nice blue shirt. I cracked the door open once again, stepping into my flats and walked towards the kitchen as the rising chatter of Rogue and Sting suddenly turned into hushed whispers.

"Are you sure you are absolutely being honest with me?" That was Sting's voice. Like he was giving a lecture.

"For the thousandth and second time Sting. Yes." Rogue sighed back I could picture him clutching his coffee mug tighter now with whatever was _actually _in it.

"Alright...than why not?" Sting stated sounding as if he were trying to keep a cool head, a crossed from Rogue at the table.

"Really?"

"Really."

"When I...well ya know...there was a giant purple mark a crossed her abdomen. She seemed so fragile suddenly and I couldn't help thinking that it was ou-er-my fault that we weren't there for her."

"You don't have to censor yourself."

"No I really thought it was my fault, I'm just used to saying our in your presence."

"You don't think I feel the same way?" Sting's shadow moved as he slapped down a piece of paper in front of him. "I feel utterly useless to you two right now. You've been barely out of the hospital for a few hours and she's under constant threat. Simply because we went to finish the investigation." Sting said as I glanced in the room he was holding the detailed calendar of how he had barely been able to help anyone. "I was standing right there the whole time, you two had gone to find me, it was my fault." I bit my lip. Great. It was a room that was shimmering in waves of teenage angst. "Sting you weren't the one completely hospitalized! You are still able to move around without a problem without worrying that any movement will cause you to rip out a stitch and force you back into a tiny little empty quiet room." Rogue relitated which only seemed to aggravate Sting. "That's the point! If I had tried harder than I would've protected you both! I wouldn't of needed to hunt her down while _failing_ at it too! Her mother's right! I can't protect anyone I can't even protect my own little brother!" Sting's voice echoed loudly than hushed to a quite level as I thought of an alright time to enter the room wondering if that would serve as a catalyst to accelerate which seemed to be a fight further. I propped the door open quickly as if I hadn't heard anything. "Hey guys I'm off to work now, i'll see you later." I smiled as they both glanced at me like I was insane, standing up from their spots. "You shouldn't go out alone." Sting shouted as I was already at the door not sure if I wanted either of them coming with me during their angst party. "I know but its just work. I mean Cobra's there. I'll call you guys when I get there. Besides wasn't Rogue supposed to be doing something today?" I explained as they both sighed Rogue looking a little more disappointed as if he had forgotten something important or had to go do something he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to go do. "Don't worry about it. I'll walk you in the morning." Sting explained finishing a waffle and stuffing another in my hand. "Right now how about you just sit down and eat." Sting demanded as I frowned at him but was too hungry to complain. I sat down and scarfed it not thinking about much other than that Sting looked like he would be a car-guy, but not just any kind of car guy he would have a fancy car that was probably ultra powered to make a drag racer drool. "I'm ready." I sighed sitting the empty plate in the sink full of water as he nodded. "We'll be back soon." Sting shouted as Rogue glanced at him rapidly. "Do you need any bullets?" He asked as casually as a mother would've shouted for her son not to forget anything on the way to school. Sting shrugged. "I've got my handy knives." Sting smiled as I half expected the blonde to start twirling the knives in a fancy fashion. Instead they remained hidden under his coat.

"So." Sting said quietly as we walked threw the still dark morning. There was something about this city that was always dark. I felt the pricking need to beg and ask him what it was like outside the city. "_Are you forced to go to school? Is robbing the convenience store counted as a hobby, maybe a sport, or extra credit? Do they use cars? How many street lights do they have? Is it actually __**safe**__ like some people say it is?" _I bit them all back waiting for what Sting was starting to say sounding like he was fumbling for something to say. Sting fell silent once again to the rhythm of my clicking dangerous heels. "Is murder also common in other cities?" I asked remembering Rogue's story about how they had lived before. Maybe murder was a common everyday thing that you couldn't pass someone on the street without them being a murderer. Sting sighed-loudly-before he begun talking. "You know how children around here practically have a bodyguard within less than a ruler of them at all times?" Sting asked as I nodded. That was pretty common practice. It was the only way that you didn't wind up dead before the end of the night because of the liking towards the phrase "your brat annoyed me, so I fixed the problem."  
"Yeah."

"Well there's places called _parks _where children can run around. And they actually play with each other"

I blinked at him

"You know like football and soccer and-"

"Crash grocery stores? Rob the bank together? Like in a pack?"

Sting's face looked in between a fixture of shocked and amused with the answer that I had come up with. "No. Football and soccer, some kids like instruments and play them." Sting explicated as we were a block away from my morning job. "How will that save their lives?" I sighed as he glanced at me as if I were insane. "Okay. That's something we're going to have to work on." Sting sighed as I shrugged. "Its a way of living. Always making sure you know the latest way to live, ya know?" as he nodded in reply. The conversation wasn't exactly going over well so Sting, embarrassingly, decided to change the topic. "So...do you and Ry-Rogue hold hands or something on the way there or back?" Sting grumbled putting his own hands in his hair as I glanced up at him heat hitting my face immediately. "No! W-Why w-would we do something like that!" I shouted waving my arms about as he scoffed back towards me without an answer. "WE don't!" I insisted as Sting nodded dropping his hands down again before picking up where he left off. "You know so no one gets lost in the dark. You guys really like dark places together don't you?" Sting prodded as I felt heat rush to my face.

"If you're trying to ask what I think you're asking the answer is no!" I shouted slamming the door to my morning job in his face, turning around to see Cobra standing there. "Rogue morning?" Cobra asked as I blinked at him. "I said rough morning?" He asked as I shook my head.

"No! Of course not! Why would there ever be everything is absolutely peachy!" I smiled, rushing immediately to where I had to go for my duty of work. Signing in quickly. I walked down the hallways waving "hi" to passing by acquaintances that were doing their best to seem like normal people...and failing at it. One even had another co-worker tied up and was flinging knives at them. I felt a shiver run down my back as my pace sped up. Even work wasn't a safe place. And then there was the **others** who didn't really care but if I bothered glancing in their directions or a slight murmur to them they would lick their lips and beckon me closer. Which would usually cause me to run away. Today as I glanced into my small little secretary-like stall where I would be tracking phones and people who were attempting to leave the city with vital information another person was lying in wait for me. "Um hello?" I asked waiting for the person to reply wondering if I should go fetch Cobra or Sting, maybe even both...and a knife. Knives would be good. Although I didn't have the muscle to use them they would be threatening enough, hopefully. "Oh yes, are you Celeste?" They asked as I nodded waiting for a gun to be pulled out upon my aimed at me, simply for something like my lunch. "Here's a letter from the night boss." This person smiled as I stared peculiarly. "Is there any reason he's not having Cobra deliver it?" I asked acknowledging that would've been convenient for someone who already worked there. "Boss said it was some sort of private matter and didn't want to worry about friends pressuring you to tell them what it was." I nodded taking the envelope away from them. It was fairly quick as I watched them go. I set the envelope down near the computer and waited for the phone calls that I wouldn't understand in another language but would still have to log.

I waited till everyone cleared out for their unanimous lunch break. Quickly peeling the paper open. "_When you get to work come to my office." _was all that was written there, I let out a frustrated sigh. That was stupid that was all that was in there? He risked scaring the living daylights out of me simply so that he could give me a little half the size of half a sheet of notebook paper note. That only said nine words. "Hey whatcha got there?" Cobra asked leaning over the corner of the entrance towards where I was entrapped within a small tiny box. I tossed the nice looking envelope to him as he laughed. "Official looking isn't it? Is it something fragile?" He asked not bothering considering that I had just thrown the thing. "Nope." I sighed listening as another call came in. "You don't even know what you're doing there." Cobra sighed as I shrugged. "Your job is just to hit the hold button constantly...unless the boss **actually** wants to talk to them. But that's when he's bored and mocking them on stupidity."

And that's where sarcasm came in on how important these phone calls truly were, not the "written-report" of what the job really was.

"It gives me something to do." I shrugged as he nodded.

"Fair is fair." Was all I had received as a reply as he scanned over the words a grim look flashing in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to accept this invitation?" Cobra asked as I shrugged.

"He's our boss, we've got nothing to fear." I smiled.

"He's our boss, but he's also a guy that goes by approximately twenty different alias which no one knows his real name." Cobra corrected as I nodded, irony.

"Speak for yourself." I teased glancing at him as he rolled his eyes.

"Its for safety measures, I'm simply a man. Trying to protect what's important to me."

"And he's not?"

"He's got bad written all over him, your go-to was your parents for goodness sake. Doesn't that make you the least bit suspicious of who he **really** is?" Cobra sighed as if I were the one being stupid. "Besides its just an invite from the boss." I shrugged as he nodded obviously not in the best of moods. "Anyway has something urked you today? You seem less relaxed than you usually are at this job." I explained as the bartender gave me a 'sigh' reading "you're too young to understand" I rolled my eyes.

"Around here too young to understand is what gets people killed." I grumbled back at him as he nodded. "Yeah we all know that. Have you started carrying weapons yet?" He asked as I glanced down at my keyboard. Everything suddenly seemed so fragile when I was holding onto something like that. "You don't have to use it to attack someone, its just for defense. Let them charge don't swing. It'll be their undoing. Not your fault." Cobra explicated as if my way of thinking was too simple for living here. There was a brief moment of silence before Cobra started again. "If not you might want to get yourself a bodyguard, one that can be around constantly...also one from out of town that don't want just the body." He explained as I shook my head.

"What about Kin-"

"She does have a bodyguard, several in fact, remember? I made a pact with your parents."

"Than don't you count?"

A brief moment of silence.

"I think it's easiest to leave it all into the hands of trustable Cobra."

"I'm not always going to be there."

"But I trust Cobra. So when you are there you are the one I trust."

"You fling the word trust around too easily in a city like this."

He was about to continue his lecture of my anti-seeming-weapons policy when there was a round of shots fired in the next stall. "What do you mean you're breaking up with me?" A voice screamed as I moved to under my next waiting out the fire as Cobra turned around locking the door. "You didn't leave blondie outside at the door? Because, we both know with the state of mind he's in he'll come rushing in right now." Cobra asked as I shook my head. Sting was only supposed to return _after_ my shift had ended. He had his own job to attend to.

***Sting's P.O.V.***

Sting let out an annoyed sigh as he scribbled some more notes at the office. "Are you sure you want to stick around here?" Yukino asked from around the corner as he sighed.

"Remember that problem we discussed around a week ago?" Sting asked as Yukino nodded.

"That one where a murderer was actually getting serve to the point that they were considering opening the jails up to put the public in, possibly encompassing our city with a giant barb wire fence." Yukino replied as he nodded. Most people would think that would mean everyone on the outside would be safe. But what about the people on the inside? What about his younger brother who would be obviously tormented by something that he didn't understand within that kid's head? What about Celeste? The girl who was trying her hardest to live even in a city such as this? What about Yukino? The shining light of pure innocence even in a city stained with blood that not a single person had gone without some on their own hands. In many different ways. Just picturing their future _trapped _in a place like this made him grind his teeth. "A report came in the other day." Yukino said quickly changing the topic from his and Rogue's unsolved case that was still threatening to trap everyone within the city. "I've got a report. They um left it up to me to investigate." Yukino explained attempting to decide what to say and what not to say about the report. "So what are its basics?" Sting asked glancing at the clock yet again in the all too quiet office. "Here it is, it seems there was an attack on an important gang base the other day but they were currently neutrals amongst everyone and about to transfer into a different localization." Yukino explained shuffling pages within the envelope. "But during that time their peace was disrupted but a full assault attack leaving several critically injured and several others in hospitals." Yukino explained as Sting sighed.

"Yukino...this is starting to sound dangerous."

"Here! My job is to investigate this man! Its said that he led the full-scale attack and to determine his motive" Yukino smiled pulling out a picture of Cobra. Which toppled into several more pictures, even one of Celeste...she was holding a gun...aimed straight for whoever was holding the camera. Something made his insides twist in pain as he looked at the scene. "Go to the boss." Sting said seriously as Yukino looked up probably shocked and confused, this had been her first case in a long time. "Tell him his motive was rescue and that is all. Have the case cancelled if he persists any further." Sting explained.

"But why?"

"Go."

Yukino nodded scurrying out to tell the boss of his instructions, hopefully she'd remember this time to say that they were **his** instructions. "Time to go." Sting sighed standing from his booth as he watched the hours tick down till it was time to go home from work. "Yukino do you have a ride home?" He asked her as she came out of the boss's office** without **the papers. She nodded. "My big sister's going to take me home." She explained as he nodded.

"Okay i'll be off than." He explained as she nodded, innocently, without the slightest suspicion of someone was currently after the bottle blonde's life.

"Don't they have jails for people like you?"

"Being a jailor is a walking target on your back around here" The man cackled towards the woman who obviously didn't belong but somehow had managed to wander into the city. "I just...I just wanted to talk to my grandfather!" She shouted as Sting sighed this was going to be on his conscience all night if he kept walking. He turned around walking towards them. "I haven't had any fun in a long, long time!" One of them, that looked like a frog giggled.

"Get lost" Sting growled

"Who do you think your talking t-"

"Shit! Its Sting! Run he'll slaughter us all! He doesn't know who shot Rogue yet!" The other man shouted pulling on frog-man's shoulder as they escaped breathing panicked in a hurry. "I'm going to die." Was chanted as the lady slid down against the wall clutching her purse to her chest as Sting begun digging in his pocket. "This took two whole paychecks so if you wind up in tomorrow's news paper i'll be pissed." Sting explained pulling a gun out as she begun shrieking.

"Lady! Shut up! If your grandfather was anything like you or as normal as you he's already dead! Take my advice and get the hell out of this city! Believe me some of us would like to!" Sting shouted as the lady nodded scrambling up back the way she came towards the outskirts of the city, not without grabbing his extra gun though. "Ugh...That's going to be a heck of a lot to get back." Sting grumbled watching his prize disappear into the night. They were right about the jails. This _was _that jail. Everyone was allowed to run rampant and free. If it got out of hand a gang would get together and decide it was time you got shot. That's where the serial murderer he was investigating came in. Not a single person could figure out who was causing all of the sudden deaths. And randomly too. Mostly of just convenience store robbers but everyone was waiting for the ticking time bomb to move up on his or her targets. Something harder. More exciting. Adrenalizing. That's what the city here was for. Crooks and people seeking their own desires. And even Sting had desires of his own.

***Celeste's P.O.V.*  
**

I nodded, smiling, as I walked into my house. Cobra had offered to drive me home after someone new appearing at my job and becoming suspicious of the note I had received. He had checked it over several different times to make sure that it was safe and not a fake. When he finally let the note come back to me my shift was over and he insisted that he was driving us both home. Besides you never knew who was watching, plotting, ready to jump you, the minute they saw something fancy come in. Even a simple little piece of paper. "_Have you ever considered moving out of this town?" _Cobra asked on the car ride in which I remembered nodding towards him. "_Yeah...all the time...but even I have things that keep me here."_ I whispered as he nodded seeming to understand for a moment._ "I've considered moving out after the murders were solved." _I explained as he sighed back at me as if he wasn't ready to start talking again or strongly disappointed in my reasoning. "_The murders are their case to solve you should just get out of here while you can. Alive." _Cobra had finished the conversation by unlocking the door of the car and telling me to make a mad dash for the door I nodded and proceeded to do the same. Shutting the door behind me as I stared out the window watching the red corvette drive away. The same one that drove away the day that I was attacked by a stalker...He knew. He simply knew about Rogue and Sting. That _had _to be why he had asked me the next day if everything was okay so consistently. I walked into my room, got changed, and walked back out making what could probably be considered dinner or lunch for the boys. I pulled my jacket over my waitress outfit, it was more like a maid's outfit instead of a waitress outfit. With the skirt especially and all over the frills that decorated the thing. I glanced at the cooking a faint sound in the back of my mind grumbling about not wanting to be a stereotypical sexist household where the woman always has to cook but quickly remembering Sting and his fire issues. "I'm back!" Sting's voice shouted as the front door opened where he _crawled_ into the kitchen. "Oh my god! Where you attacked?" I shouted quickly going to a kneeling position to examine if he had any wounds. "Are they still outside?" I asked watching as he crawled to the stove.

"Yeah but an evil man."

"Who are you calling evil? I assisted you inside."

"By kicking the heck out of an exhausted man. I'm sorry I ain't no workaholic!"

Sting's voice argued with the person standing outside as they came in and locked the door. It was thankfully Rogue as Sting still attempted talking like a little kid for some form of sympathy. "he's evil." Sting whispered on the floor as I turned back to cooking lunch/dinner. "Celeste listen to me! He's evil! He kicked a man while he was down literally!" Sting sighed from my feet.

"Well he's currently crippled and you're exhausted looks like an even fight to me."

"I'm not crippled!"

"How's that fair! He stepped on me!"

"I can't get involve! This is an even fight!"

"Do you have work later?"

Rogue broke the argument as I nodded slowly. "Alright, better hurry up." Rogue said as I glanced towards the hallway. "Does Rogue sound more anxious than normal to you?" I asked casting a look down the hall. "Yeah, but around this time of year i'll let that slide." Sting sighed from the floor he was now laying on his back, his arms crossed looking up at me. "So when's dinner going to be done?" He asked as I glanced down at him ready to tell him to go sit in the living room before I felt heat come to my face. "Sting! I'm going to kick the hell out of you!" I shouted causing him to roll over jumping up quickly before my foot made full contact with his shoulder instead landing on his knee. "Dude! Ow! I was working all day! Don't you think that hurts?" He shouted back. "You pervert!" I shouted looking for a pot to hit him with, or at least something to throw at him that would make him leave the kitchen while I was still completely flustered. "I don't even know what I did!" He shouted as I glared at him. "I was just laying on the floor it was nice and cold there! I'm exhausted come on believe me! How is that even close to bein-shit...you think I? I didn't, didn't even look!" He insisted as I found one of my pots with a handle.

"Get out."

"I'm telling you i'm innocent!"

"Get out now."

Sting quickly exited the room. I sighed even if he was innocent it was still completely embarrassing to even have him realize that I thought of that. "Okay dinners done." I shouted as Rogue walked in grabbing a seat quick. I glanced towards the door way as all the bowls were set on the table were Sting's hair was blobbing in and out of the room, an occasional flash of him with his "puppy" face on. **And he looked like he had been stepped on.** In which case he had. But still a stepped on puppy was sad. "Can I come in for dinner?" He shouted from the hallway as I glanced towards the door sighing. "Yeah." I mumbled watching him pace in.

"I'm only on break I'll have to go back soon." He explained as Rogue and I nodded simultaneously sitting down to eat. "So you're going with her later?" Sting asked as Rogue nodded in reply. "Okay so I'll go pick her up later." Sting explained picking up his fork and eating his dinner, slowly, and painfully observant. "Okay, I'll see you guys later. Also if I walk back in on anything weird I'll be pissed!" Sting shouted as someone threw something at his head, not missing. "Ow! Dude!" Sting turned back towards Rogue who was drinking something. "I didn't do a thing." He smiled as I sat down back in my chair watching the flustered and confused Sting leave. "Alright, we're going to be late." Rogue sighed pulling a pair of keys out of his pocket as I glanced at them a question written all over my face. "_Where'd you get those?" _as I glanced at him.

"Cobra tossed them at me on the way inside, said he was lending one of his spares for now."

I raised my eyebrow wondering what was suddenly in Cobra's head. "He's been acting strange." I whispered as Rogue shrugged. "I think he's just doing his best to protect something that he wants to protect." Rogue replied turning to go out the door. "Ready?" He called as I nodded quickly scrapping my dish within the sink before heading out after him. After a few minutes of driving Rogue suddenly spoke up. "Are you sure? You could probably easily quit this job" I shook my head. He didn't understand. There was just a need hanging in my heart that I wanted to protect my childhood memories. We pulled over near my night job before he spoke once again. "I'll be back soon okay? Cobra's in there. I've got some errands to run it won't take me more than an hour." He explained as I nodded towards him feeling something in my gut that was screaming don't let him leave. I felt that horribleness sink in my gut as I watched him go with a car that we discovered Cobra could only lend to us for a little while. I sighed turning to walk into the night-job. A frown already forming on my face. I twitched it quickly into a smile before heading in pretending to enjoy myself the entire time. "Boss you asked for me?" I whispered propping open the door of my boss with a billion albias with enough alibis to match. "Boss you needed me?" I called sliding the door open slowly the sound of the nightclub drumming behind me as I entered the room. "Yeah of course!" My boss shouted as I nodded walking further into the office. "There's a present here for you!" My boss shouted I glanced up towards the man who was going back and forth between superman's first name and last name in what he was actually called. I blinked at him, there was no way out of all the girls here that _I _of all people deserved something more than any of them. I had no advantage to them, not in profits brought into the club, not even in experience. "You can come out now!" My boss shouted as a young girl stepped out from behind the curtain. "Ummm, hi...my name's Liset...And I-I wasn't sure...who I was...so I was starting with...with you since you look like me.." The girl stuttered as I stared probably with a blank expression into my twin sister's face. "This is your twin sister, your parents put in a request that should she ever show up here for you to take her home. After work though." Clark/Kent smiled towards me stressing "_after work though" _knowing that he was going to do his best not to loose any of his profits. I nodded, taking another glance at my sister who had no bangs while the rest of her hair was tied back into a braid, and then scurried into what I was doing. The night-shift past pretty easily. "I'm going on break now. You'll be okay right?" Cobra asked as I nodded. He was becoming hesitant since the boss had asked him to change his shift so that he could help with the unloading of the wines, beers, and anything else that someone might take pride in managing to bootleg within this city. He headed away quickly as I took another order, hurried it back, then moved on to a corner table of two men. "She's pretty ain't she?" One man smiled to the other who nodded as I wasn't sure to back away or graciously thank them for their compliment. I crossed my fingers, hoping on a tip tonight without incident. "Why thanks guys so what can I get two gentleman like you?" I smiled trying to seem as friendly as possible without being overly friendly. "We would like ourselves a helping of waitress!" One of them laughed as the other rolled his eyes scanning the perimeters. "And it looks like her dark and mysterious bodyguard ain't here tonight." I gulped suddenly remembering who the other guy was as I stared at him, a sly smile coming to his face, as if to say "_about time you knew who I was" _I took several steps back ready to run screaming for Cobra wondering if he would even hear me since he was out back unloading the trucks. The first man jumped up quickly grabbing my wrist and pulling my hair back. "Let go! I'll have you know I am armed!" I shouted as everyone froze in the vicinity, some of them setting their utensils down to watch while others cleared the area, quickly, panic echoing through the air. As if it was fine and thick coursed as the nitrogen in it itself. "Bullshit." The original drunk man called as the first man shoved me against the wall. "Everyone go back to your business. Just some poor service that has to be fixed yet again." The drunk man shouted as most the guest, used to seeing such displays, turned back to their food. "You heard him, now entertain me. Get me what I ordered, this time...properly." The first man smiled his voice becoming something that made me want to shrivel back into the corner that I was forced into pretending that I wasn't there to begin with._ I don't want this._ "No one's coming for you. We made sure to distract Cobra for a good solid hour." One laughed as the other was smiling in my face.

"You know what I want now give it to me." He whispered

"No" In a time before I had met Rogue and Sting I probably would've groveled and dealt with it. Done what I had to do to live. But now I had tasted something so much better. Safety. Freedom. Trust. There was no time to turn back now.

"No" I turned up my voice determined looking at his expecting face.

"What'd you say to me you little bitch?"

"I said no!"

"You're going to pay!" He shouted lifting his hand high in the air obviously going to smack me as suddenly something grabbed his wrists with such a death-clench it might've fallen of of his arm.

"Did you order a fine can of ass-whooping?" It was Sting he was smiling. But it was a wild battle-ready smile while his eyes were glowing with **strong** traces of malice. He cracked his knuckles, his face becoming sadistic as he picked one of the men up. He chucked the guy he was holding back to that man's table. "Or was it a medium rare can of ass whooping?" I glanced up at him as he bent down examining me of where I was sitting on the ground. "_Please. Please. Please. Don't be crying. Don't let it show." _Something whispered in the back of my mind as I stared up at him watching him scan me over. "Did he hurt you?" He asked as I shook my head. "Bullshit!" One of the men shouted getting Sting's attention. "You know what I did? How the fuck do you think she wound up in the corner? I even touched the fuck out of her hair, she probably enjoyed it too! And you know something after i'm done with you i'm going to take her ho-" The man laughed as I felt my back involuntarily attempt to take safety in the feeling of the thick wall pressed up against my back. Sting reached towards my hair silently pulling on it as he brought it to his face as if he were examining it within his hand. "Apologize." Sting growled as I could barely hear him, my hands shaking in my lap. Watching as he hovered over me seeming as if he was trying to make sure I didn't see them at all and attempted to not burst out against these two. "What was that little one?" One laughed hysterically.

"I said apologize for embarrassing and upsetting my friend!" Sting shouted whirling around as he took out the two pathetic guys threw the wall. "Get out, here's your mother-fucking door." Sting said humiliating them as he kicked them out the "door".

"Are you okay?" He asked as I nodded. "I-I've g-got to get back to work." I stuttered standing up as my legs fell out from under me. "Ohmygodwhati'mgunnadolegs, my legs won't work." I stuttered trying to gather a sentence as he sighed. "Not like that you're not." Sting sighed picking me up as I felt fluster cover my face. "You're not even supposed to know about this job." I whispered wanting to bury my face in his shirt to hide from the humiliation. "Yo boss-man, Celeste is checking out for the night." Sting called as Cobra came rushing thru the door covered in dirt and possibly tire tracks parts of his shirt were torn and he looked completely aggravated. "This was an arranged attack, lets get home." Cobra explained. Liset following him quickly out of the office she looked so much younger, with wide, innocent eyes or confusion. I almost wanted to choke on such eyes in such a city. "Let's go I can't hold her all night." Sting grumbled as I wanted to put my face deeper in his shirt. "How'd you find out about this job?" I whispered

"A friend."

"Rogue?"

"..."

"He promised."

"It was me, I called him because everything looked suspicious." Cobra sighed as I nodded slowly.

"The can of ass-whooping has been reserved for Rogue not telling me though."

"I've got my car its just outside." Cobra explained as Sting nodded picking up pace.

"Who's this girl?" Sting asked glancing quickly towards Liset as we got outside.

"She's my twin-sister. My parents sent her here to find me since she couldn't remember who she was." I stuttered as Sting put me in the back of the car, I swatted him away when he went overboard and tried to help me buckle insisting that my legs wouldn't work from shock not from being crippled. Liset got in on the other side still not having said a thing. "That's weird of all the places you'd think to send her to meet up." Sting sighed probably questioning my parents intellect. "We'll the leaders of the LunarStar gang(s) have always been a little bit weird, no other gang insisted on an experiment with their twin daughters where one was raised normally and the other was raised as if she was living in an innocent world." Cobra explained starting the car, locking the doors after Sting got in, and taking out his phone rapidly dialing some buttons on it. "Wait! I'm the weird one now!?" I turned to Cobra confused I was told that I had a pretty normal upbringing. "Shh, I'm on the phone." Cobra said avoiding my question as everyone fell silent.

"Hi honey, its me." There was a few seconds of silence. "No honey its fine, remember those drill we had a discussion about?" Cobra was silent as an echo of Kinana's voice was heard over the phone. "Yes those drills, remember lock the doors, and the windows. Um, you might want to grab a knife you never know who's going to go overboard doing their best to protect this city ya know, I suggest you hide in the bathroom for a little...no, keep the light out, put that note on the door that says you've gone out food shopping...No nothing's happened, there's no need to worry its just one of those drills I was late on the uptake, love you too." Cobra clicked off the phone as Sting was giving him a mixture of a teasing and worried look. "I don't want to hear it out of you." Cobra said keeping his eyes on the road as he attempted to drive us home. "Thanks Cobra." I smiled getting out of the car as he nodded. "If I could I would tell all of you to do the same, but I've got to get home to Kinana." He explained as we nodded scurrying inside.

"He seemed overprotective of someone." Liset whispered as I shrugged.

"That's not overprotection, not in a city like this." Sting said as I nodded watching him show her where to hang up her coat and ask if she had any of her stuff. I walked into the kitchen while they were doing that wondering where we would be putting her for the night. I glanced at someone's bareback as I walked into the kitchen, I checked them over quickly to make sure they were still wearing pants. They were, but the strange thing about these pants were that they weren't normal pants instead they were pants that someone would wear to a formal occasion. I glanced towards their back once again it was covered in small knife cuts as they attempted practically drowning themselves in my kitchen sink, blood was dripping down into the bandages wrapped around their abdomen. I glanced around the kitchen nothing had been changed with the exclusion of their shirt with only spots of blood being thrown over the chair that Rogue usually sat in. "Are you okay?" I whispered reaching up and touching Rogue's shoulder as he flinched away from me suddenly, I felt my hand recoil wondering if I had done something wrong. There was a brief silence as he looked me over, his eyes pausing over my hair with a look that almost made me feel bare as I attempted to not reach towards my hair and hide it behind my hand, as suddenly he reached out pulling me closer. "I can't believe they did that." He whispered an angry growl on the edge of his voice as I felt myself become startled confused on how he knew the days events. As suddenly he pushed me away. "I'm sorry, I won't do that again." He whispered turning back to the sink. "It's disgusting, I know. I didn't mean to take a bit of your memory its just flowing out of you so strongly." Rogue said attempting to hide his voice and possibly embarrassment under the water as he threw more in his face. "Are you okay?" I asked he wasn't acting his usual self and he was covered in scratches that could also be a warning that some of his stitches were open.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Where were you today?"

"Just had some business I had to take care of."

Sting entered the room quickly. "The can of ass-whooping is getting cold!" He called obviously looking for Rogue. His eyes went wide as he glanced at Rogue. "Dude, what the hell happened?" Sting shouted as Rogue glanced him over in turn. Sting's usual perky self was a mess. "Maybe I should ask you the same." Rogue sighed looking Sting over.

"What? It was just a pesky fight, got into it on a way home. Couple of guys said something I didn't like." Sting laughed, it was a fake laugh obviously concealing something that didn't want to be known. "Anyway...we've got a new guest." Sting attempted explaining trying to pull Liset in as the center of attention. "Where are we going to put her?" Rogue asked glancing at us as the discussion begun. "There are two beds in my room." Sting explained as Rogue rolled his eyes. "There's no way she is going to want to stay in a room with a man whom she just barely met." Rogue retorted quickly as Sting rolled his eyes. "Everyone wants to stay in a room with me." Sting smiled as Rogue sighed. "Save it for later playboy." Rogue grumbled rolling his eyes towards Sting. "I would offer the couch but that'd be rude since it probably smells like-"

"I'll take the couch." I said as they both looked at me a faint hue lit a crossed Rogue's face. "I meant that Rogue can move back into Sting's room and she can take my room!" I shouted feeling flustered as I realized what they thought I meant. "Perverts!" I shouted as suddenly Sting looked ashamed moving into the other room. "It seems you have injured Sting's already injured man pride." Rogue sighed turning back to the sink attempting to remove the rest of the blood.

"I'll demand an explanation before bed!" I said hurrying out to talk to Sting, he couldn't of gotten too far. "Wait!" I said pounding on the door of where Sting was staying as the door slowly opened back up a bit. "I'm sorry." I whispered as he shook his head.

"No I'm sorry for embarrassing you like that, I should've at least broke that silence and not thought something like that...especially...especially after the kind of day you've had." Sting stated his eye poking its way out the door. He was talking about the people at my job. "Get out of there and stop mope-ing, I'm getting used to things like that. And you guys are starting to teach me that no one's going to kill me if I stand up for myself." I said my hand reaching into the door without thinking and attempting to drag him out of his hiding spot as he shook his head "I've got to clear Rogue's side of the room anyway." He explained as I nodded slowly letting go, it wasn't going to be easy to get him out of there. I marched back to the kitchen where Rogue was still obsessively washing his face, my twin sister watching him with a confused face to match. "Liset, you wouldn't mind staying in my room would you?" I asked as she shook her head picking up a small bag that probably barely could contain a teddy bear and a single change of clothes, metal clinking inside as she moved the bag. Her face lit up. "U-Um, boss said to carry these around and t-that I would learn to use th-them and that they're necessary in this city." My twin stuttered upon knowing that I had heard the bag move. "It's alright you'll get used to it." I explained the idea of actually arming myself at work echoing once again. I showed her to my room. "Sorry about the boys, Rogue had a rough night on the way home. And Sting's just a little emotional." I explained as my cousins eyes lit up as she pulled out a book. "That's a normal human thing...um...most people call it...um...oh there it is! Sting's pms-ing!" My cousin said excitedly like she had just found an answer to a test. And someone **wasn't **holding a gun to them for a good grade. "Where'd you get that?" I asked snatching the book from her hands as she blinked up towards me. "From Clark." She smiled as I shook my head.

"I'll get you a better book tomorrow." I explained as the hours were becoming later and later, she nodded smiling happily as I closed the door to give her some privacy to unpack what little things she had.

"Your turn." I said exhaustedly sitting down at the table as Rogue finally pulled himself out of the water. "Give me another minute." He said going back into the water. I felt my heavy eyes blink at him wondering why he was so concerned with throwing freezing cold water at his face over washing the blood he was covered in off. _"Rogue, you're scaring everyone. Hurry up, was your blood off, get dressed, and get your butt back out here to explain everything." _Der Meister's voice shouted as I blinked up at the man who was standing clearly above the next kitchen chair over seeming as if he was about to take a seat. "I've gone insane." I thought to myself as I glanced back to Rogue who didn't even bother reacting. _"You know better, yell at him. Get his attention become frustrated! Some guys find pushy women attractive!" _Der Meister explained as I glared at him. "Shut up already." I said, loudly, as Rogue pulled himself out of the water glancing towards me as if he expected that I was talking to him, towards the seat that was sitting next to me, and then back to me. "_The girl deserves some sort of explanation!" _Der Meister shouted flapping his arms as Rogue walked out, possibly towards the bathroom, as he came back dripping wet this time with a black shirt that fit perfectly around him and a blanket in his hands. "I'm not sleeping, I'm waiting for an explanation." I whispered as he sighed obviously not a topic he didn't want to talk about. Minutes passed as he seemed to want a way out of explaining himself. "I was simply visiting my mother's grave today. I got attacked on the way home by street muggers and did this cities usual protocol." He explained as I raised an eyebrow. "I fought them off, called the police and dumped them in a place that looks like a dumpster that we can an alley these days, then got the heck out of there." He explained putting the blanket over my shoulders as I let the exhaustion seep into my shoulders. "You don't want to sleep on the couch it smells like smoke." Rogue whispered as I shook my head.

"Do you really want me sleeping in the room with Sting?"

"We could kick him out and put him on the couch."

I sent him a look which he returned with an almost guilty look.

"Couch it is." He sighed moving me to the couch pulling me into his warmth. "I'll only stay for a bit." He whispered as I nodded snuggling deeper to the scent that was in between something like sugar and fruit. That scent that was only Rogue's. It made me feel safe. He ran his hand threw my hair. "I'm going to protect you, no one is going to touch you." He whispered as I nodded struggling not to fall asleep while something felt like it was pulling me down and forcing me to sleep, my eyelids becoming heavy.

Everything was so nice and dark, it even smell like Rogue as I wrapped my fingers around his shirt wondering if he needed the one in the kitchen washed and then ignoring it all's I wanted to do was clutch onto his shirt and not leave. Right there. That's where I felt safe. Locked within his arms no matter what was going on or how confusing everything was becoming with my strange twin sister showing up on our front door step at the same time of everyone being attacked. He was safe, he was warm, and he was right there-my fingers twitched-my hands were empty. He was gone, my hands were empty. Huge traces of malice echoed through the air running down my spine as I bolted up looking around towards the darkened empty room. "Der Meister what's going on?"

"_How the hell am I supposed to know?" _Der Meister's voice called back before sounds of walking out of the room echoed behind him nonchalantly as if he was actually really there. "The air is filled with malice." I muttered pushing myself up off the coach heading into the room where my sister was staying, propping the door open slowly, crossing my fingers that I didn't find a tragic disgusting scene where there would be blood dripping a crossed the floor and a twisted smil-I shook my head- those were just rumors she was my precious twin sister. There was no way she could do that. Especially not with the state that she was currently within. I cracked open the door once again glancing over the form who was sleeping soundly in my bed, arms curled around one of my stuffed animals from childhood who was now tearstained. "I'll save you later." I whispered and shut the door again moving back towards the couch. Glancing towards Sting's open door, well now it was Sting_** and **_Rogue's open door. Sometime in the middle of the night Rogue must've kept his promise and moved back to his room. Why did that make me feel so empty and disappointed? I shook my head there was no guarantee that Rogue and Sting weren't going to disappear anymore. I laid back down on the couch again breathing in the scent of the blanket. And what about my twin sister? We couldn't' just leave her here in this city. What about Yukino? Kinana? Cobra? Even without meaning to I was starting to realize that I had made connections with people I considered important even in a city like this. Wide awake with so many questions I pulled the blanket up to cover my feet not having bothered changing out of the outfit, but Rogue had bothered removing my heels. I breathed in the scent of the blanket, inhaling it deeply, as suddenly my eyes became heavy. Rogue was going to get it in the morning.

I faded off into a false sense of security with the scents

of sugar and fruit.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"I'm telling you she's going to be pissed." A voice echoed through the room as I rolled onto the floor coughing as I curled into a ball, I felt sick and ill, and confused. I pushed myself up slightly falling immediately. "Calm down, you're going to be okay." Sting said suddenly by my side as I attempted to push off the ground. "It lasts only a couple minutes after you wake up." Sting whispered as I glared towards him. "Did you do this?" I asked pointing towards the blanket pushing it away feeling my shaking hands. "You've got to understand." He whispered as I begun attempting to crawl away. "Understand what?" I growled glaring at him wondering what had happened. "He's just trying to protect you." Sting begun explaining as I shook my head.

"Protect me from what?"

"Everything! He's decided that he can protect you from everything himself!"

I felt my shaking hands collapse under me as I flipped over struggling to breath as if I had just run a marathon Sting was reaching towards me beginning to pick me up. "Don't touch me." I growled as he pulled away again, hands hovering right above me. "What'd you guys do? I trusted you." I whispered struggling to pull myself up as Sting went to reach for me once again my hand slipping on the blanket that I was using, I grabbed it stuffing it into his face as his eyes became hazy falling onto the floor. "I told you." I whispered as Rogue walked in a disapproving look on his face. "Too much of that stuff can kill someone you know." Rogue sighed squatting down near me as I swung the blanket near him. "Come any closer and I shall engage in the battle." I growled as Rogue reached over towards me pulling the blanket up to his face. "One of the gangs who kidnapped me as a kid had made me immune to stuff like this, they were afraid that another gang could use it to kidnap me once again." He whispered breathing it all in slowly, carefully, a look that shone that was only visible when he was smoking as I wanted to pull it back so viciously suddenly a guilty feeling swirling within my stomach. I felt my hands shaking as he stared down at me, fear creeping up the back of my neck, I was staring towards him as if he was some form of monster. "Are you scared of someone like me?" He whispered as I shook my head.

"N-No. I'm not" I stuttered wondering what the fear running up my neck really was than as his hands reached over pushing my shoulders down to the floor. "Are you scared of me?" He whispered in my ear as my heart went insane from the position as I pushed my hand against his chest. "Stop! Stop trying to make me fear you! Stop it, I'm not changing my mind no matter what you do!" I shouted as his eyes went wide, he lowered his head next to mine eyes echoing in exhaustion. "Guess you're not, sorry. I'm doing my best." He whispered rolling over to the other side were Sting wasn't struggling to push himself back up from the ground as his phone begun going off. I attempted gathering up my common sense wondering why the two boys were exhausted or why they had been acting weird as I ignored the phone going off. "I'm going to take a shower its been a long couple days." I sighed as Rogue blinked towards me causing me to wait for him to say something that was probably Sting-like and so he did. "Do you want me to come with you?" He asked as I felt a blush cover my face as I jumped up shaking my head. "No! Of course not!" I shouted rushing to the bathroom after quietly grabbing my stuff. "Stupid Rogue" I grumbled ignoring the 'I heard that' from the living room.

"Um...sis?" My twin Liset who we had obtained the night before rubbed her eyes in front of the doorway. "You can use any of my clothes, they're in the closet." I explained as she nodded padding off to my room. I walked into the bathroom, leaving the door for Liset so she could get ready.

***Sting's P.O.V. ***

Sting sighed pushing himself up off the ground looking towards his brother who was sitting leaning upon the couch Sting's phone ringing rapidly over and over as Sting pulled it out of his pocket flipping onto his back on the floor. "Hello?" He asked placing the device up to his ear.

"I may have already started moving." A female voice whispered seductively and slyly causing Sting to sit up so fast everything was turning purple. "What have you done?" Sting growled as suddenly several things sounded as if they were dropped within the bathroom. As Sting pushed himself up heading quickly towards the bathroom dropping the now disconnected phone upon the ground. "Are you okay?!" Sting shouted beating on the door of the bathroom as Celeste came out wrapped in a towel, her face completely red, and screaming back and forth towards Sting. "_I thought we were under attack or something!" _As Rogue picked up the phone which was ringing again getting Sting's attention. Silence finally settled within the room as everyone stared at Rogue waiting for something as he talked on the phone. A hint. Anything of what was happening. "Yukino's been hurt. A bookshelf fell on her leg at work." Rogue explained as Sting clenched his teeth.

***Celeste's P.O.V.***

I watched as Sting went from panicked, to angry, to clench his teeth as if he knew something or was worried over the news as Rogue explained that a bookshelf had fallen on Yukino at work. "We're going over to pick her up now." Sting demanded as Rogue gave him a peculiar look.

"She insists she's okay and that the boss is just being a worrywart. "

"Would she tell us if someone had made the bookshelf fall on her in the first place?"

"No."

"Than we're going."

"Get Liset ready." Sting explained as I nodded hurrying off to find the girl with a conscious of an elementary schooler currently. "Liset?" I called as she appeared shining eyes looking up towards me full of hope. "We've got to go visit a friend, are you ready?" I asked as she nodded. "Okay I'll be right out." I said shutting the door she walked out of and throwing on some jeans with a plain t-shirt with a dark enough color that it wasn't see through. I hurried out following the guys as we got into the car that was being borrowed from Cobra. We quickly arrived towards the office. "You two have to be extra quiet okay?" Sting explained as I rolled my eyes and Liset nodded excitedly as if we were at an amusement park. If amusement parks were amusing and not designed mostly to mug tourist on their passing through travels. I wanted to pull on Rogue's hand, keep it to myself threw the dirty looks that people sent him and Sting. Dirty looks that I knew so well. I wanted to claim his as mine. Even though the morning events were screaming not to touch him, tell him that I was really really mad and confused about why that blanket was doused in drugs that made me fall asleep. He was going to understand how mad I really was while I was going to get my explaination of why he did such a thing to me. We walked into Yukino's office who acknowledge us with a frail smile. "It was just a poor case of bad luck you don't have to worry about something like this." She smiled pulling her leg which was hidden under a dark blue formal skirt back behind the desk. It was covered clearly in purple. "I'm going to check out the scene." Sting grumbled pulling out his phone dialing in a phone number as I glanced towards the screen reading it quick. He was dialing Amanda was he asking her for back-up? To check the territory-I felt like facepalming myself. It was so obvious. He wasn't doing either of those things. Instead he was checking upon her making sure that she wasn't injured as he headed out to talk with her in secret. "I'll go get us something to eat while we discuss this situation." Rogue sighed as Liset followed on his heels, braided hair swinging, bright eyes shining as she stared at him with a look that made my stomach flip. "They all come to check on me then walk out immediately. I don't think I'll ever understand." Yukino smiled a look of affection being casted out the door. As I placed my elbows on the desk. "I know what you mean...I mean seriously Rogue doused me in some form of chloroform last night, to get _away_ from me." I whispered feeling something almost hurt resonate within my voice. Yukino sighed. "Shut the door." She said as I nodded standing up and shutting it than turning back to the girl. "I just don't get it, why...why does he always go through such lengths?" I whispered as she blinked at me.

"Maybe he's just trying to protect you."

"From what?"

"Your powers."

There was a silence between us as I remembered not being able to dream the night before instead malice was built up inside of myself where I couldn't find where it was coming from and had become confused to the point I thought the malice was radiating out of the house. I blinked at her hoping she would begin some sort of all knowing explanation with me. "He's a psychic-being that's why he's so valuable to our firm." Yukino explained as I nodded listening intently. "But the thing about being a psychic being is that you have to prove yourself over and over again...there was one time where he was sitting there, smoking as usual, and he was mumbling to me all's I heard is "_I don't want to prove myself right anymore" _at first I thought he was tired of people doubting him...but then I realized, he was wishing he could doubt himself he was wishing that the things he was seeing wouldn't be real anymore. It was a burden to him." Yukino explained shuffling through some paperwork. "And now he's scared." I blinked looking at Yukino wondering what he was scared of. "He's scared for you." She whispered I felt a frown form upon my face.

"I couldn't help it. If the guy you want to be dating suddenly shoves a blanket practically full of chloroform in your face you start to question who they really are."

"He's just trying his best to help you, he's watching you suffer. I looked at that boy when he came in he looks like he hasn't slept in days."

I nodded. He had been staying up outside my door lately already there before I was even starting to scream barely understanding who I was. "_Help! Help them!"_ The last girl's voice shrieked inside of my head, hysterical and confused as I shivered it away not wanting to remember the-hand lying draped a crossed the floor covered in a pure liquid red that was darkening by the minute- "Come back. Don't zone like that. Not here." Yukino was whispering to me her hands quickly placed upon my shoulders. I nodded as Rogue opened the door slowly again for the first time causing me to notice the hurt look within his eyes. Even though he was trying his hardest in any way he could, literally, I still wouldn't acknowledge him. I nodded standing up slowly. "Sting got a call and went on ahead of us he took Liset with him." Rogue said as I nodded. "Call us later." Rogue said directing that toward Yukino as he put an arm around my shoulder. "I don't like the looks you're getting." He whispered pulling me closer as we walked up the street.

"That's not my fault! What about you?" I growled as he blinked towards me obviously not understanding. "They're all staring at you in there!" I shouted unlocking the door as he didn't even acknowledge it. "I don't know that's how they always look." Rogue attempted to explain as I walked into the living room where the blanket had already been removed.

"I want you! I want you to myself." I shouted grabbing his collar as he looked down at towards me. "Its not fair that its okay for everyone to look that way but I can't be mad! I can't be confused! I want to make you mine!" I shouted as his hands went around mine his eyes becoming something very serious. "I'm not sure you understand entirely what that means." He said a slight growling sound coming off of his voice that I didn't quite understand. As I stared up at him a sweeping feeling of a fascinating mixture of awe, fear, confusion, adrenaline, and hope hovering over me as he lingered towards me my heart racing rapidly. "Are you sure you understand completely what something like that means?" He whispered as I stared at him my lips parted with no words coming out. Heat rushed towards, it was his breath on his face. "I want-" I begun as suddenly his pressure was placed upon my face, his hands were moving down my hips as I felt my gaze attempt to make eye contact with him immediately going to the other side of his face. I felt my heart pound, I couldn't look at him directly as he slid his arms around my hips pulling me closer as I felt my unstable feet move back trying to find something to support myself, instead Rogue opened a door behind me not even bothering to break the connection as suddenly I was upon the bed. I felt my heart pound struggling to go in between the two decisions of "Run! You still can make it to the door!" and "You asked for it, you better go through with it! It might be your only chance! Just look at him!" I breathed in slightly watching him as he ran his hands threw my hair almost obsessively making sure that it was _**his **_hand going through _**my hair. **_"I'm going to make you understand what that really means." He whispered within my ear tugging my shirt off as he slid his tongue up in between my bosom causing something like a shiver to run down my skin even though it wasn't cold, instead it was something hot as if I was doing something vigorous before. My skin was vibrating on the inside as if I was about to get on a rollercoaster and the adrenaline was rapidly circling around. I felt my eyes glance past him shutting when his sly smile reached me eyes. I couldn't do it, I couldn't make eye contact with him. As my heart changed paces obviously understanding what was going on better than I could comprehend in the mess of my mind. He took his thumb rubbing along my lip as I felt like he was teasing me, my eyes were shut so all of my sense were suddenly escalated I couldn't feel each and every inch of his hands as they attempted trying out new places and new words. Mainly his thumb that that was tracing over the corners of my mouth as I attempted not to be embarrassed by the sudden traces of liquid from inside my mouth appearing on those corners of my lips. "I bet you would like that elsewhere." He teased his hands removing their lock from around my waist. I could feel his mouth pressed against the side of my stomach right below my ribcage. As I could feel his tongue swipe over a ticklish spot right below my left rib cage above the hip bone. "Oh gosh, stop that tickles." I felt a feeling come to my face as I went to push him away hearing a sudden purr erupt from him as I struggled not to kick my feet to get him off as he continued tickling me. "Stop it." I whispered as one of his hands went back around my waist as he murmured something. "W-what?" I asked as I heard a breath be taken from Rogue.

"I said stop squirming, you're making this hard." His voice explained barely clear.

"Oh gosh what are you doing?" I felt myself attempt to be serious threw the laughter from him tickling me, I attempted trying to peek wondering if I would have to shut him off as suddenly his hand was over my eyes. "No peeking." He grumbled and resumed what he was doing.

"Sis! Sis I need you!" Liset's overexcited voice started echoing through the house, doors being thrown open two at a time. "Ugh." Rogue groaned slowly removing his hand from my face and sitting up where I could see that his shirt had been removed. And he was watching the door waiting for it to come open. He was watching it as if he hated it, dreading the moment that it was going to open. Hating that it even existed as a way back to the main hall as he grabbed his shirt throwing it over me reaching for another as he threw the button-up shirt he had, had on earlier over that in which he must've been wearing under the tight black shirt since the blood stains only scraped the edge of it. "I'm telling you that they're obviously fine and will be home soon." Rogue begun as Liset walked in the door. "Yep, and here I am" Liset smiled as Rogue nodded acknowledging her. "Guys! I have something really big to tell you!" She smiled beaming towards us as she was a child who had just found a secret treasure. "Where's Sting?" Rogue asked as she begun bouncing. "That's the thing, he sent me back here, and he wanted to show you guys this lab thing he's discovered!" She smiled as Rogue looked towards her doubtfully.

"He wouldn't send you back in the middle of the night like that." Rogue said doubtfully still sitting on my bed as I glanced at him, felt my heart pulse then glanced away. Maybe he didn't like me in the first place but I was just something to tease. I shook that out of my head ignoring it. That was stupid to suddenly feel full of doubt. "Let's go." Liset smiled pulling me toward the door as I stood up pretending not to notice the lumpy pile of clothes upon the floor. "Sting equipped me with a phone and a knife if anything were to happen." Liset explained dragging us back out the door as I nodded hurrying. "How far away do we have to go?" I asked as Rogue attempted swiping the car keys off the wall. "No time for that." Liset smiled already dragging me half way down the block as Rogue hurried ahead stopping her. "Are you flipping insane? Its in the middle of the night just three blocks over from the red light district, and you're going to go around just casually walking the streets?" Rogue was practically viciously growling towards the girl. "I don't care what you do, but you aren't bringing Celeste." He insisted pulling me back as Liset nodded.

"Of course, but Sting he said-"

"What'd you find?"

"something about an alchemy place and finding a murderer he sent me to get you guys and bring you back" She stuttered as Rogue nodded slowly trying to match everything up.

"Than we defiantly go by car. If shit hits the fan, and if we find what we're looking for we know it will, we need a way out of there fast." Rogue explained as we both nodded. Rogue drove us there minding the speed limits as we arrived. "Stay close, where was the last spot you saw Sting?" Rogue said as he got out of the vehicle.

"Over there." Liset pointed as Rogue nodded walking towards the center of the room, carefully paying mind to every single little detail of the rooms. I glanced around each room which had an eerie sullen feeling towards each one, shrieking rising slowly up within the place I felt myself shiver, bad shivers, back wanting to step out of the place watching as Rogue clenched and unclenched his hand probably hearing the same things. "Can Sting hear this?" I whispered as Rogue shook his head. "That's probably why he wondered in so far trying to solve the case, he's always been a little bit stupid about things like this." Rogue explained as I nodded the floor moving underneath us as Liset dropped to the floor grasping it as if that would help her stop moving, a door opening underneath Rogue, as the tile shifted me away from the door. "Rogue!" I shouted reaching for his wrist where I barely missed him the sound of him hitting the ground echoing a few seconds later. "Are you alright?" I shouted towards the bottom of the chute where Rogue grumbled back that he was okay.

"I'll come down there right now." I shouted

"Don't do that!" He shouted his voice echoing from the walls as if he were entrapped within a metal room.

"Why?"

"You don't have anyway to get back up and I don't see any doors down here, Sting probably has pulled out the equipment while we weren't here, find him!" Rogue shouted as I replied with assurance glancing towards my twin sister Liset. "Get in the car. I have to find Sting, we're going to get Rogue out of there and get out of this death trap." I explained as Liset's large round eyes nodded innocently hurrying back outside. I stood up searching frantically around the place looking for Sting.

I took each step carefully one at a time trying to find my way out of the deathtrap that was laid out in perfect plot as if they knew every which direction a person would be tempted to walk. All blocking the ways out, I held my hand to my face attempting not to gag as I watched several traps, some filled with earlier victims and others with a form of goo that I would've rather _**not**_ knew which substance was dripping out of them. "You'll find him." I whispered to myself my voice stuttering as my shaking feet attempted to climb the stairs my sweaty palmers were barely gripping on to the metal staircase's railing. "Sting?" I shouted wondering if he was alright and would actually call back while he was in the middle of his "investigation" of the surrounding area and finding any clues on who the real murderer was. "Sting? We need your help!" I shouted finally making it to the top of the stairs moving forwards even though my feet were covered in a form of liqui-I gulped, I knew I shouldn't do it. I knew I was going to do it- I glanced down towards my feet covered in darkening red slosh. A hand reached out pulling me closer back towards the wall as I attempted to scream out feeling the liquid on their hand surround my mouth. It was so disgusting. It was so gross. I reached up attempting to pull that hand away as I felt their chest pressed against my back. They felt like they were looking for someone. "Which one are you?" A voice growled as I struggled to get the man's hand off of my face. "Gross let go, gross, gross, gross!" I attempted to shout but that made them more doubtful. "Let go! Who are you?" I shouted the instant I would get a chance I would pull away and find Sting. That's exactly what I would do. "I said-" _Now or never. _I chomped right down on that disgusting hand fighting with myself screaming that I would wash the heck out of my mouth later and spoil myself in ice cream while ignoring that this event had ever happened as the attackers hand flinched causing them to let go. "Ow, dude!" The voice shouted as I let go taking off in a dash.

"Sting! Sting! We've got to get out of here!" I shouted wondering how far in he had gotten to such a place without even gagging. It was like a hall of horrors a real live hall of horrors. Where bodies were just stacked out as if they were sacks of potatoes some rearranged like they were groceries and others taking care of gently as if they had some form of gentle fondness to them. And that was what had disturbed me the most. Each one of the bodies with the gentle fondness to them had either an arm, a leg, sometimes both, maybe even an ear...no matter what these bodies were missing something. They were all missing something that should've been physically there in the first place. I bit my lip which was considerably a bad idea as I took my sleeve and whipped my face I glanced down towards Rogue's beautiful tight fighting sweatshirt now covered in stains of blood. I would wash it for him later, he would have to wait _**and**_ stay alive for that. I pushed forwards up the next flight of stairs in the dark corridors glad that I didn't actually have to see the full-scale of disgust that lit the edges of the walls. "Sis?"' Liset's voice called as a flash light shone from room to room, already upon this floor. I felt myself shiver back not understanding. I had told her to go to the car, she was in the mentality of an elementary schooler that's what she should've done. She should've been shaking in the car waiting for our return impatiently miscounting minutes safe behind locked doors. "Liset get out of here!" I shouted running towards her as she shut another door the flashlight beaming towards me as I felt ready to keel over and gag all over once again. The red liquid was a prominent feature that was worse than the flooring as some of it was splashed against the windows. Dried and crusty already other parts of it were smeared across the floor as if there was some dragging a person around involved. "_Pull yourself together." _Der Meister's voice whispered as I nodded pushing up on my knees Liset would have to be my focus at the current moment in time as I pulled myself forwards. "Whichever way you came, go back there. Now." I demanded with the voice that said I wasn't playing as Liset blinked up at me. "But you've been gone for almost twenty minutes now." Liset muttered. "I was worried." She whispered as I shook my head she couldn't help it I would've done the same thing. "Liset, head back to the car, quickly." I whispered wishing that she didn't have to see such sights that were surrounding us some even plastered to the roof as I ignored the shivers that told me to run and get the heck out of there. She nodded turning to leave. "Do you want the flashlight?" She asked as I glanced at her momentarily tempted to take it while at the same time my entire being was screaming 'no you don't want to see the full-scale of this' "You're going to need it for your walk back to the downstairs." I whispered as she nodded seeming to understand. "That's why I brought two." She explained handling me over a plastic yellow flashlight. "Thanks Liset, I'll meet you back out there with the guys." I said as she turned around heading elsewhere to a place I presumed was an elevator. Something was eeriree about each of the girls who were scattered around like tropheries. They each had similiarites to how I looked some with brown hair, others, mainly the one's that were missing eyes, with the same eye color that I had obtained. I gulped down air ignoring the concidences and kept walking onwards into the horror-hall. "Sting?" I asked opening the doors that Liset had been opening and closing. They looked like kitchens. Apartments even. I walked in glancing around on the floor where several bodies laid.

"_Don't touch my family you bitch!" Someone screamed as in the hallway a shadow swung a chair down upon another seemingly small female form, hard. "Oh silly, they're all already dead." A cute little voice smiled back as I glanced towards the tile floor not wanting to know as I heard a man's blood curling scream throughout the house. I pressed myself to the floor feeling disgusted with the liquid that was overflowing on to my face as suddenly someone kicked me over. I attempted to look at dead as possible but apparently my hyperventilating was extremely obvious here. "Looks like I missed one." Someone smiled her hair still sticking out now it was braided so the dyed blonde looped up into the brown as her green eyes shone in the dark. With malice. Their personally was written all over their sadistic face. "Don't mind me, I like that sudden echo in your eyes that wasn't there before...are you being possessed? Gosh that'd be cool!"_

I glanced down at the girl laying there strangled, stabbed, possibly tourtured. It was one of the girls that I had possessed. I swallowed. This was something that I would have to swallow down too. This was one of the many deaths I had experienced threw the nights. I stared down transfixed upon the family. I would have to remember this too. It was a part of who I was. "_It's disgusting isn't it? To be able to invade someone else's memories." _Rogue's voice echoed in my mind as I felt my fingers shaking watching as I stared towards the smears of the blood dragged from the kitchen towards another room, a couple fingers in the trail along the way. "I can do this." I put my hand against the fridge slipping over what seemed to be a family picture. Two parents and their daughter. Burning bile rose in my throat as I fell to one knee struggling to supress it back becoming that disgusted wouldn't help me live nor would it help me find Sting in this mess that I was wondering throuugh. With my now bloody hands from touching and removing things in my path, my bloody soaked threw sneakers as if there were a brand new matting of blood upon the floor, and the soaked cuffs of my pants. I looked like I could've gone out for our teen fashion show at that rate. And no one made it out of there alive, not even the one's who had gone there to kill others. I gulped, I was living in _this_ city. I could make it out of this. I could. I wanted to make it out of this. I pushed myself off the floor feeling the dried blood cake off of me. As I moved down the hallways. "Sting! Its Celeste! I need your help!" I shouted stumbling up another flight struggling to reach the top where another girl met my eyes with bright glowing eyes that seemed almost yellow. "I'm going to kill you!" They shouted moving their hand full of malice as they went to push me back down the stairs as they slid right on threw me. I felt my arms come up automatically feeling violated as I watched the girl stumble and fall down the stairs after literally going right thru me. I shivered moving onto the next room without any time to question what was going on. There was something different laying upon the table, different from all the other rooms in which I had already been exploring...extremely different. Instead of a female being a similar victim to all the rest there was a male resting upon the table. Who looked like he had been brutally tortured, left to marinate, tortured again, and then dolled up with make-up as if they were some form of doll. I shivered walking closer to this male. One that had seemed so familiar. I knew this person. Or rather had known this person. I ran my fingers down their arm wondering if everything was okay with me if I was even sane. "_It's alright dead child." _Der Meister smiled he was sitting on the table with his legs crossed as he smiled down towards me. "But...but" My voice begun to shake as I looked at his blonde hair. "Its not okay.."

"Sure it is. This is how its supposed to be. Its been fun dear child!" He smiled as I nodded waiting for him to vanish into thin air as he leaned over kissing me on the floor head. "Stay strong dear little one." He whispered suddenly vanishing leaving me staring at his empty corpse. Its all he wanted apparently. And he hadn't said a single thing about finding it. I stared at him vanishing into thin air slowly as if he was never there in the first place.

"Wait! I can't-"

"Sure you can darling." He sounded as if he were smiling, something of a proud gentle smile that he hadn't worn within the base with me. I felt my fingers shake as I nodded bitting on my lip than finally picking up my feet and moving forwards. The reason the people who had kidnapped me is that the LunarStar gang's kidnapped the kidnappers...and sent them here...whever here was. I gulped dragging myself up another flight of gore infested stairs into the next room which looked like a tool shed. I shone my flashlight over it steadily checking out each of the supplies. There wasn't actually anything too dangerous within the closet simply rope. I pulled the rope down wrapping it around one of my arms as I ran back down the stairs waiting for the serial killer to find their way home officially and wind up kicking us all out of their "house" of horrors or keeping us for a night. Probably forever. Which hopefully it wasn't the latter. I slipped down the last three steps hurrying out towards the opening in the floor in which Rogue had fallen into earlier. "Rogue are you still there?" I called waiting patiently for my answer as I surveyed the scene looking for anything that I could tie the rope down to so I could either go down to find him or get more support while I pulled him back up. "Yeah, I'm still here. Although I don't think I want to know what i'm stepping in." Rogue shouted back as I sighed finally deciding that Liset would have to come back into the horror-house. "I'll get help in a couple seconds, I need Liset I can't pull you up. I found some rope but I can't find Sting." I shouted as a rustling of movement sounded just below and what sounded like he slammed himself up against the metal wall leaning upon it to fast below. "Are you sure you don't want to find Sting first?" Rogue called as I sighed beginning to speak once again. "There's no time for that. We don't know when this person or these people will be back, and we have to find Sting. Fast." I said as Rogue begun grumbling fighting himself if he was going to agree or argue with me. I rushed out to the car going to pull on the door handle to get Liset out, instead it was locked. I knocked on the window three times before Liset's head came up to the wind slowly examinning who I was before unlocking the car. "Smart." I said as she nodded getting out of the car slowly as she looked around, confused, she was probably expecting that Rogue and Sting were going to be with me and we were going to get the heck out of here. "I need your help, but once we're done I need you the heck out of there." I said as Liset nodded seemingly obeying as she scanned over what I appeared to look like. "Ignore the blood." I grumbled pulling her back within the building as she nodded slowly. "Okay the rope should be right here." I smiled thanking my lucky stars that it was still right there as I begun explaining the plan. Liset was to be the anchor while I was to do the brunt of the work and attempt to pull Rogue up the shaft. She nodded along grabbing the rope. "Did you hear the plan?" I shouted down as the room was still dark barely glistening with light that somehow didn't belong in a place such as this lighting everything up a pale blue. "Yeah I got it." He said back as I gave the Liset the sign as I threw down the rope where Rogue signalled back that he got it. The entire process sounded bland, simple, in theory. But within action it was taking a lot of legwork and muscle strength from the three of us as we attempted to anchor, pull, and have him climb his way up towards the top. I could feel my eyes shinning with determination. "Sorry sis.." A voice came from behind me as I turned toward Liset how had pulled out a dagger. "Liset?" I asked pausing to quesiton her sanity as she let go of the rope. "I really, really, really needed you to just stay still for a bit. I need your eyes." She smiled shoving me down as my clumsy hands stumbled to grab the rope that was pulling Rogue up hoping that he wasn't going to crash to the floor as I grabbed the rope keeping both my hands wrapped around it. "I need your eyes...I need them...you've seen my monster...I've shown it to you in my dreams...please...please just give me your eyes. My monster she, she has to look like me. She's not a monster she's my precious creation. You'll understand one day sis. I had to keep the others silently. But you're my precious sister there's no way you would tell anyone about this. And you'll understand one day. We'll even keep him alive." Liset smiled her sadistic nature that I had been waiting for revealing itself. I felt the rope slip in my hands as I let go of one hand automatically coming back to the rope. "Everything okay up there?" Rogue called as Liset stomped down on my hand. "Better keep a tight grip on that...you might lose him." She smiled squatting down as she opened one of my coats neatly lined with brand new pockets with brand new 'weapon-holders' as she picked out slowly which one she wanted to use pulling out a butcher knife, examining it, placing it back, and then pulling out another possibly an exacto knife. "Sting?" I whispered hoping that he could hear me, maybe if I screamed at the top of my lungs he would come out from hiding. "That kid? He can't tell a lie from a banana, lured him here you know. Told him that you and Rogue had ran off following some chick in this general direction. Than I took this precious baby here-" She paused pointing towards the butcher knife once again as if she was a big sister telling of her adventures as she explained what she had done. "-and I stabbed him, fifty two times by the way. All in the same spot, made a pretty little deer. Although I was quite curious about how he let me get that close. Must've mistaken me for you." She said smoothing over her wild-hair, bright glowing green insane eyes with her blonde tipped bangs that were hidden inside of her braided hair.

"You didn't-"

"Oh but I did, and I think that Rogue should know that his dear precious big brother is dead, want me to tell him myself?"

She was smiling sadistically as she pulled out another pair of scissors eyes glancing quickly towards the rope I was holding onto my feet giving me the only firm ground. "Are you going to give up him or your eyes?" She smiled already taking the bet and moving the scissors towards the rope. I rolled over on to the rope. "I don't want to give up anything!" I shouted as she sighed almost seeming disappointed in me. Like I had made a mistake during a board game. "Sis, this isn't a place where we can afford refusing to give up anything, you get lucky if everything doesn't get taken from you." She grumbled towards me slamming me back over. "Now let me see those beautiful gems." She smiled as I shook my head wanting to let go, reach up towards her and shove her away. "Come on you don't trust him anyway. Sometimes you wonder if your his game." Liset sighed sitting there, as if she knew nothing was happening as I struggled my hardest. "Just because I feel full of my self inflicted doubt doesn't mean I don't care! I do care! I care a lot!" I shouted tugging on the rope the faster I could get Rogue back to the top of the shaft the better of we would be. "Sit there and give me your eyes, you'll understand once you have your own creation!" My sister said shoving me down as I squirmed out.

"They'll both come to help me! They always do!" I shouted as my feet begun skidding across the floor, they were losing their traction as she grabbed my ankle. "Not yet." She growled her eyes were glowing as if she needed something from me. "I need one's exactly like my own." She was still growling. Growling as if she were a hungry animal that hadn't eaten in days. "That's why our parents kept us separated...they realized you were a crazy psychopath!" I said as her eyes went wide beginning to laugh hysterically. "NO! No! It wasn't! This is the only way to live in a city like this! They didn't even separate because they couldn't figure out how to fix their psychopathic of a daughter! Its not my fault!" She said reaching to slap me across the face with one of her knives in my hand stumbling for it once she realized it might've damaged my face. "I don't want to ruin those perfect eyes, I need them" she whispered as I struggled back. "They're not coming! I flipping stabbed Sting!" She laughed as Rogue's arm finally pulled its way around the top of the shaft a shot fired through the air.

"Crazy bitch." Amanda said sounding exhausted as she had Sting leaning upon her barely standing as he covered his abdomen. "I couldn't of said it better." Sting laughed smiling towards her as she practically glowed like a lightswitch at the compliment. "Alright which one's the real one?" Amanda asked looking in between us as I pulled further on the rope and Liset took inventory upon the weapons in her pockets. "You didn't even know and you fired?" Rogue asked pulling himself out of the shaft. "You didn't even know and you trusted them." Amanda retorted quickly as Rogue glanced towards me as I panted. "That's because I knew that my sky-princess wouldn't let go of the rope no matter what." Rogue said as I laughed glancing at my hand which was too numb to even move even though he was out, my hand was still wrapped around the rope. "How'd you know we'd be here?" Rogue asked glancing towards Liset who was busy puking up her guts and than some. Perfect to match the scenery of where we were. "Well I was busy calling to check on how Amanda was doing with some of her negotiations and findings." Sting begun as Amanda rolled her eyes. "He told me he thought he was close to solving the case and highly suspected Liset so he followed her when she pretended to be Celeste and stated that they were all in the middle of a really dangerous situation..but I didn't think this idiot would be stupid enough to get himself stabbed." Amanda grumbled glaring at him.

"Its not my fault Stabby-McStabs-a-lot has an addiction." Sting grumbled removing what seemed to be a bullet proof coat from under his shirt. "It matches my muscles Rogue!" Sting smiled proudly as Rogue rolled his eyes. "Could've used that a while back, a little disappointed that we won't have matching bandages." Rogue grumbled his hand sliding around where his bandages would be. As Sting laughed. "Yeah, no matching bandages for me...okay...maybe one or two." He whispered still leaning upon Amanda's shoulder as she sent him a glare that read "_you are going to the hospital"_.

"Let's get out of here before the police show up." Amanda grumbled as Sting nodded as we all headed towards my place. "Is it okay...is it okay to just leave my sister there?" I asked in-between unsure if that meant I was afraid for her or of her. Rogue took my hand pulling me towards the car. "Right now you should be more worried about yourself." He said as my sister twitched on the floor. "This is accelerating! You think its the first time I've been shot?" She laughed pushing herself up off the floor as she lunged towards Amanda, Sting moved in the way as she pulled another knife out. "Ow...shouldn't of removed that vest." Sting stuttered reaching to pull the knife out of his side as Amanda's eyes went wide staring at Sting as the fine liquid dripped to the floor. "Get out of the way I already stabbed you." Liset smiled shoving him aside as Rogue's arm went around my chest pulling me back towards him. "Now the fuck, who'd you call crazy bitch?" Liset laughed her smile becoming twisted almost pissed as Sting grabbed her wrist. "The fuck you'd go after someone important to me." Sting pulled Liset back who was screaming and kicking the whole time her wild eyes wide with insanity as her hand slipped on a knife which Sting caught just in time moving Liset to be trapped against him his other hand pressing a knife to his throat. "Stop squirming."

"Stop touching me! Gross get off! You're ruining your precious blood!" She shrieked as I felt myself pull closer to Rogue it was uncomfortable watching a mirror of myself try to kill everyone around me as she suddenly was driven to a whimper. "Please Sting? You know it me. I'm Celeste, please. Please believe me." She looked directly towards him bright big eyes as he scoffed.

"No, you aren't her. You obviously aren't her."

"Please just let me have her eyes. I need them. I need them, i need them to bring life into my creation." She sounded as if she were a helpless sobbing child with her screeching that pierced my ears even hidden behind Rogue's arm with it surrounding my ears I watched Amanda place her hands to her ears as just outside the windows blue and red lights begun to flash Rogue and Sting flinched glancing at Amanda. "Get those two to the car." Sting ordered as I could feel the hesitation radiating within Rogue's arm.

"Leave me here, get them in the car and I'll be right there."

"No! You'll look like the murderer!"

"Go"

"I'm not leaving my only brother behind."

"I'm not the only connection you have anymore." Sting was smiling as if he was going to play hero.

"We aren't going!" I shouted as Sting flinched loosening the knife on Liset's throat slightly as the door opened. "Police open up!" Someone shouted as the others began to smash the door down. "They actually came." Sting whispered his eyes becoming wide as he watched the forces of the police entered the room. That was when Liset seemed to have an idea flash threw her eyes. _Than she fainted. _I felt my eyes widely stare at the girl on the floor as Sting fell back breathing loudly as if he was struggling with something. "We found a situation!" A police officer shouted as Amanda jumped up running towards Sting. "Sting!" She shouted reaching him on the ground where she checked if he was still breathing. "You can just ask me if i'm okay you know, I've been up for two or three days making sure the house was safe." He laughed as she nodded silently letting him stroke her hair as I avoided my gaze there was something about that scene that felt like it didn't belong to me seeing it.

"Alright, do we put them all in cuffs?" An officer asked glancing at us as Rogue pulled me closer something that sounded like a growl on his lips as the other officer shook his head. "I put the call in sir!" Sting raised his hand from the floor as they nodded a bright white blob making her way out from behind the other officers. "Sting, Rogue, are you okay?" Yukino shouted a medical kit in her hand. "I could use a few bandages and I think Rogue opened his stitches in a fight yesterday." Sting shouted as Rogue sighed.

"I did not!"

"He's lying!"

"Am not!"

"He doesn't want to go back to the hospital I'm telling you!"

"Its just a flesh wound!"

"At least let me see it!"

"I got scratches from the fight I was in the other night"

"You were in a fight?"

"No, I mean yes, no. Well it was personal."

"Did it happen while you were visiting your mother's grave?" Sting's face looked grave as we waited for an explanation threw the silence. "Yeah...I wanted to deal with it myself." Rogue looked away as embarrassment lit his face there was something that he would've rather kept hidden to himself. "Its alright to share things like that." I whispered placing my hand up to him as the police brought in lights to light up the wretched scene of what they were looking at Liset being placed within handcuffs. "What'd she do to you?" Rogue's hand was shaking as he traced over the edges where the man on the upper floor had grabbed my face to keep me quiet. I placed my hand on the face pulling away with actual blood. I had thought that, that man was just another like Der Meister there but not exactly. "There's another man upstairs. I think he might actually be a victim!" I said suddenly as Rogue nodded slowly letting me go to proceed up the stairs as the head of the line of people going up to examine it. "You don't want to see something like that." I said grabbing his wrist pulling him back down towards me.

"Its okay. I'll just go up there for a moment."

"I don't want you to have to see anymore than you've already been forced to see."

There was a silence as I could feel my arm move behind myself still struggling to keep a grip upon Rogue's sleeve cuff. "I don't want to lose anyone important to me. Especially you." He whispered coming down the stairs for a brief moment. Sting let out a large sigh before he begun talking once again: "Sorry Celeste, I couldn't see the difference between you and Liset in the dark she let her hair down pretending to be you. She explained that Rogue had brought you to here and that you guys were desperately searching. When you walked in I had just thought that she had given up but instead there were now two voices going around the place and I couldn't find out who you were that easily. You fled and I felt like an ass."

"Why didn't you chase after me?"

"Stabby-McStabs-a-lot wounds sound familiar? We were searching out the third floor when she turned around and stabbed me, let me fall down a bunch of stairs and I was stuck there." Sting explained as Yukino wrapped some more bandages around the places where Sting had been cut, than turning to carefully examine Amanda. "Are you okay?" She whispered as Amanda nodded not showing any sign of injury or serious injury at all upon herself. Yukino turned to check upon everyone else, quickly and carefully redoing some of Rogue's bandages pulling him down from the stairs after Sting had declared he was my attacker from earlier in the night. "What about Celest-oh god!" She shrieked finally looking at me in the light. I looked like I was the serial killer myself and had enjoyed every last second of the blood splattering upon me it was dripping down my hair as if it was wet hair dye brand new within my hair. "Someone get this girl new clothes and something to wipe her face off." Yukino shouted as the extra-men in the squad moved quickly at her command coming back with a rain-jacket, paper towels, and water buckets. "Its the best we can manage." Yukino nodded watching them disappearing once again as she handed the supplies over to me with a quick apology about not having anything sooner. I turned to whip my face as Rogue took another cloth wiping my face. "I'm not a little kid I can do it!" I grumbled puffing my cheeks, as a little kid could do. "Yukino, if we wanted out of this city. Would you come with us?" Sting asked as we all paused to look at her for her answer as she smiled. "I'm sorry, I can't. I know you guys see the worst in this city. With lives like your's I would too...but this city...I can see the best in it. I'm going to make this city something beautiful." Yukino smiled as both the boys nodded in sequence. "We'll be back one day though." Sting sighed as if he were trying to cut his connections to the city but instead found a reason to return to it. "I expect you to come back!" Yukino smiled as behind her they arrested my twin sister.

"Rogue let me see her." I whispered as he nodded slowly letting go of my arm as I walked towards her.

"I understand I don't really know you...I don't know anything about you...but your still my twin sister." I begun as she cut me off leaping towards me to be pulled back by the police who had restraints upon her handcuffs. "And you have something I want. And I'm going to get it for my precious baby. I want your eyes, now! Even if I have to use my teeth darling sister!" Liset shouted freaking out as she became tranquilized. "Can we take her?" Some of the police questioned as I stared at Liset, her insane stare as her blonde bangs that faded into her actual burnet flopping around all over the ground. I nodded slowly. "I'll be back for you, you know. You can't escape from a place like this." She laughed as I nodded heading back towards the "group" where we were all sitting. "What did you think she was talking about?" Rogue asked as the flashes of images in my mind all echoed all over the place. The monster in my dreams. The fingers lying upon the floor. The trail of organs and other such liquids. I gulped standing up walking towards the emergency exit stairs. "I know you want to get out of here but we can't leave yet as witnesses to a crime." Sting sighed as I shook my head reaching for the button with my finger. "I've got to go to the basement." I whispered as Rogue was by my side staring at the button I was about to hit to open the door. "Do you want me to do this for you?" He asked as I shook my head. "This is something that I have to do myself." I whispered as he nodded backing away where my shaking finger pressed the button slowly, as if the slower I went the less likely I was to see what was down in the basement. I stepped inside ready to climb down a huge flight of nasty gore covered dusty stairs. Instead in front of my feet stood a pure white elevator. I walked forwards hitting the button. Each clank and movement of the elevator drove my heart insane as I waited for the doors to open to see what was on the other side of the doors of the elevators. If my sister's secrets were all coming out at one. I had to make sure. I had to make sure that I had _all _of her secrets. _"Come on, we both know you'd love the adrenaline the piercing beautiful silver blade and its magnificence I saw the way you looked at it." _My sister's voice said in my head as I shook it out, that was a construction of myself. I had done that to fear myself. To scare myself from walking into the next room, which was going to be empty. Or at least a bedroom. Flashes of the upstairs bedrooms echoed in my mind. Covered and smeared in blood. I watched the elevator doors open slowly, creaking all the way. I walked forwards. It was my time. I was growing older. It was time I took responsibility for myself, it was my turn to protect myself. I walked forwards into a tiny room that seemed as if it was designed for a child. A tiny crib, a book shelf, toys scattered along the floor. Pictures of Liset along the walls. Always alone. By herself. I glanced at one where she was playing with a toy. Seeming lonely as she simply stared at it. These pictures were something taken from afar. "It must've been so lonely." I grabbed my, well Rogue's, t-shirt still covered in blood near my heart. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. The screams that she was making earlier suddenly becoming a different sound. "_Help."_

"_I don't want to be alone!"_

I walked further into the room where several books of alchemy were sprawled across the table. Of the human transmutation genre. I pulled the next door open glancing behind it. Where the monster I had seen earlier in my dreams laid sprawled upon the table. Suddenly instead of scary it seemed so sad. Voices echoing up from the corpse.

"Help!"

"I'm scared!"

"I want to protect my family?"

"Who are you?"

"Help me! Where am I?"

"I'm scared."

"I don't want to be alone."

I knelt down near the mess placing my head on the metal table that was kept neat especially compared to the rest of the house. I glanced at the "monster" upon my sister's operating table. I glanced at the table once again realizing I was the monster. She was screaming inside this entire time for one friend. Anyone. Me. "I'm so sorry." I whispered wishing I was capable of understanding something that I couldn't control to begin with. "I'm so sorry." I whispered feeling a sudden pressure on my back. It was Rogue, he was resting his hand upon my shoulder. "We weren't going to understand, she was already long gone before we found out about her." He said as I nodded. "Still..still I feel..I feel like I could've and should've saved-d her." I whispered feeling sobbing. "That's because she was your twin sister of course you were going to feel like that." Rogue said as I nodded letting him help me up off the floor. "Let's get out of here." He said as I nodded glancing back behind me where the voices were still screaming. The voices of people's wills. And hopes.

"Come on." He said surrounding my shoulders with his arm as I nodded walking up the stairs towards the elevator once again. I nodded as we headed back to Sting. "What's our game plan Master-Planner Sting?" Rogue asked, a slight scoffed while Sting was still on the floor with Amanda at his side. "We kidnap the SaberTooth leader, tell Cobra and Kinana, and get the fuck out of the city." Sting was smiling as if he was the smartest man on earth or at least a happily overjoyed man. "Watch that smile you might be the one arrested in a place like this." Rogue scoffed back towards him where Sting quickly returned the statement with some eye rolling.

"You're going to get arrested by the end of the night."

"Will the cop be sexy?"

"HEY!"

"Nope, its going to be some old man."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Let's get out of here before Rogue has to make up my alibi."

"Why do I have to make up _your_ alib!?"

"Well roaming around all night covered in someone else's blood in a horror hall doesn't exactly sound like a good alibi at all now does it?" Sting shouted back as Rogue snorted "Let's get out of here." Sting sighed as we nodded all piling into the car that was luckily just outside the caution duct-tape that was fencing off the rest of the apartment complex. "You'd think someone would've noticed that an entire complex was a site for late night murders or even that the car garage had been turned into some sort of alchemy lab." Amanda said as I turned away looking at the sky. I really had known absolutely nothing about my twin sister. And I had already locked her away in jail.

"We're going to be okay." Rogue whispered as I looked up towards him.

"She tried to kill me."

"Yes, she did."

"But why do I feel like this? Its not right" I said looking at my shaking hands as we walked towards the car Sting was currently double checking everything for bombs before we got in the car which would've been comical to watch panicked Sting check over every single inch of the car, if it wasn't for the entire weeks events. Rogue ran his hand threw my hair, sounding as if he was about to sigh but holding it in.

"She was your twin sister, of course you're going to feel like this." He whispered as I nodded. "But is it necessarily okay?" I whispered as he nodded.

"I think even if Sting became a psychopath I would also feel in such a way if I had to turn him in to the police."

"I'm not a psychopath!"

"Not yet, but your a little nuts!" Rogue laughed back as I attempted to place a smile upon my face.

"I am not! I'm just currently overly precautious!" He shouted back and than opened the passenger seat door for Amanda whom nodded. "Hey! Who said you were driving! Call me over precautious but I would like to get this back to Cobra in one piece!" Rogue shouted turning to Sting who rolled his eyes. "I am an _amazing_ driver." He boasted as Rogue gave him a glare that made me doubt his words. "Come on, I promise not to wreck it." Sting begged as Rogue sighed finally getting into the back which in turn caused Sting to cheer like a little kid. Who was about to get some sort of present. I crawled into the back watching as Rogue immediately buckled the seat belts, locked the doors, and double-checked that everyone had their seatbelts on and laid his head back against the seat as Sting started the car.

"Before we go, isn't there one more loose end?" I asked as Sting looked at me. "What about that girl that was threatening us?" I asked as Sting sighed.

"I didn't want to say it, but it was a girl from the gang. She was the one who hurt Yukino by pushing a library shelf on her. She was the one who was sending those letters"

"How'd you figure that out?" Rogue asked blinking at his brother as Sting grumbled still trying to start the car. "It was from the phone call that I received yesterday. I recognized her voice and reported her." Sting explained as that was the end of that conversation which was not touched again. "Yes!" Sting smiled beginning to roll the car as suddenly he passed out.

"Hit the break!" Amanda yelled as Rogue blinked one of his eyes open, got out of the rolling car, opened the front seat while it was still rolling moving Sting to the back and begun to drive.

"He gets motion sick."

"So do you!"

"Mines not so bad! I can't at least drive without collapsing!"

"Only when you're in the middle of a panic!"

They argued as Rogue rolled his eyes. Amanda glanced back at Sting occasionally as I nodded wondering what to do next now that I was in the back with Sting instead of Rogue.

"I'm gunna hurl." He said, loudly.

"Than open your window."

"That'll make it worse."

"If you hurl in this car Cobra's going to be pissed."

"At least I won't have to worry about paying for it"

Rogue was rolling his eyes I could feel it as we drove back to Cobra's place. "I've got to finish some business with the gang so you guys can let me out here." Amanda smiled going to open her door as it locked. "What part of kidnap you didn't you understand?" Sting said as the car came to a stop, he was leaning his head against the back of the chair staring at the roof. "What?" She whispered.

"You don't get it. We're taking you with us. Yukino was capable of deciding for herself. You don't have anyone else left in this city to go to."

"Why?"

"You'll be safe. By my side."

There was a silence as I glanced out the window watching Rogue get out locking the doors behind him as he walked up towards the house. Cobra and Kinana were on the front door steps glaring down at him as Rogue walked up the steps. "I'm sorry we can't leave this city. Not yet. We'll follow in a month." Cobra's voice said threw Sting's cracked window. "Thank you for your cooperation." Rogue sounded just like a businessman who nodded and got back in the car. "What were you saying to him?" I asked as he got back in the car taking a quick glance at me. "Well I had two plans. The first one I was going to tell him that we were leaving the city but not say who, I expected him to flip out and say that we couldn't go anywhere with you but it worked better than I thought it would." He said turning the wheel as we pulled up to the apartment complex that Rogue, Sting, and I had lived in. Sting muttered a few words to Amanda before getting out who nodded. "We'll be stopping at Amanda's place to pick up her things after this." Sting explained as we both nodded not quarreling with it since we were doing the same. "And what was the second plan?" I asked waiting for his reply. He looked as if he wasn't ready to tell me the answer. He took in a breath before telling me "I was simply going to tell him that you had passed away in the fight. Saved many lives."

Rogue padded away without saying another word. I knew somewhere he was glad that Cobra and Kinana decided that they would be making their way to wherever we were going eventually. "Where are we going?" I shouted getting no reply as I packed my things. "Should I take all of it?" I questioned allowed as Sting was in the doorway. He nodded quickly and then headed to the kitchen to grab rations. "We're just going to up and disappear?" I whispered holding a stuffed animal within my hand. _Its a way to live. _I glanced at the happy picture of my family all gathered together. One of the rare occasions. I traced over the empty space between my mother and father. The empty space where my twin sister Liset should've been. I put the picture face down. "You'll want to see them eventually." Rogue said taking the frame and placing it within his own stuff. "Eventually" I nodded but still I was going to worry about my twin sister. The one I had thrown in jail. The one where I had stolen the rest of her life because I was simply born and my parents wanted to pull of an "experiment". "Its okay to feel that way." I nodded and continued grabbing clothes off the racks I walked out looking back towards my empty room. My clothes from my red light district days laid out a crossed the bed. I walked away from there. I took Rogue's hand heading out of the door. And for the first time. The first time in my entire life. That door didn't seem like a trap. A way to get to the outside a place full of guns and bloodshed. A place that was going to murder you, shove you up against a wall, break you, confuse you, stab you in the back. Destroy you. That door wasn't something keeping everything out and me in. Safe in my own little cage. That door. That door was my pathway. My pathway to freedom. And I moved threw it through it, holding on tight to Rogue's hand.

**2 Years Later**

"I want to try! That thing there!" I shouted as the lights buzzed around the thing called a beach-carnival where people walked up and down the streets holding hands. Rejoicing and spending time with each other. "What is that called? Please, please let me see it!" I shouted pulling Rogue along, he had grown his hair out and was starting to mess with it in different ways. It was still hot. "Let's try that! What is it?" I smiled brightly once again, looking up at the giant wheel as Rogue's smile was faint but it was there. Showing thru. Honestly. "That's call a ferris wheel. It's in most carnivals." He explicated as I nodded pulling him closer. "I want to try this thingy!" I laughed towards the carnival man who smiled towards me. "Don't you think you're a little old to be talking like that?" He asked as I shrugged. It was my time. I could talk anyway I wanted as I pulled Rogue along, who was still holding that thing of fluffy sugar painted blue called cotton candy. "Come on! Come on hurry!" I smiled excitedly as a faint smile that he knew something that I didn't appeared upon his face. "What is it?" I asked as the door shut behind us. "Why'd it do that?" I asked going near the door as he pulled me away from the door.

"I wouldn't go near that if I were you." He laughed taking a bite of _**our**_ cotton candy. "Why what's wrong with it?" I asked as the giant circle of wood begun creaking moving slowly forwards as it rose changing my heart rate as I became entranced with the ground. I could see so many things. Cobra had just won a pet snack which was now wrapped around his arm as he was showing Kinana how its purple color matched her and how beautiful it was just like her. I traced my eyes to the other booths where Amanda where Amanda and Sting were hanging around, seeming to talk leisurely...really...really...really closely. I squinted my eyes trying to see closer. "If you keep paying attention to everyone else I might just eat all of this here popcorn." He said as I whipped my head back to him.

"Since when did we bring popcorn on?" I asked as he was still eating the cotton candy.

"Just trying to see if you were paying attention." He teased as I stole a bit in which he quickly took out of my mouth. "Hey!" I shouted feeling heat rise up my neck as he smiled.

"I said I was going to eat all of it." He teased as I was tempted to reply by taking it back once again as he stuck his tongue out. "All gone." He scoffed towards me as I moved towards him the giant metal rocking as I felt myself tense up. "It's rocking." I whispered hearing the creaks as we stopped at the top overlooking the ocean with all of its clean air. "That's alright. Just stay with me for a while." He teased as I nodded letting him take my hands in a gentle manner as we moved back and forth throughout the carriage eventually getting its motions and not rocking the heck out of it. As we twirled around the carriage not moving. The scenery was so beautiful in the middle of the night. As everything was glowing right behind us, no one was wondering if their friend was missing, no one was worrying about their family members point guns at each other or having to save their own family member from something along those lines.

"Why didn't I move around here forever ago?" I whispered staring up at him as he looked like he was tempted to steal a kiss.

"I don't think that would've been a good idea."

"Why not? Its beautiful here. I feel so safe. Right here right now. With everyone." I whispered there was no other way it could've been.

"If you moved here I would've never met you."

There was a silence.

"And than I would've been so disappointed." He whispered as I nodded.

"I know I would've been disappointed to." I whispered realizing, not for the first time, that without those two. I would probably have been my twin sister's pet. Her blind pet who got to stay in Liset's room for the rest of eternity without these two. Instead of someone who was fluttering in love. "They say they've gotten _her_ better counseling and actually might let people start talking to her." I explained as he nodded.

"Maybe we'll visit sometime. Yukino's been pretty good at clearing the crime out of the city and discovering the reasons for the huge amounts of crime. Surprised she was able to do that on her own." He said as I nodded wanting to puff my cheeks selfishly wanting him to be paying all of his attention to me. "She even caught Minerva." He explained as I nodded watching as he turned the conversation back to us. "I want you as my wife." He sighed as I nodded.

"But you know what you said."

"I know stupid me. Why'd I say that?"

"We can be patient."

"Stupid school. The minute you graduate we are going to get engaged. So you better keep those grades up."

This was perfect the way it ought to be. Simply in the silence moving our feet to the rhythm. He was a man from the darkness and to simply be here shoving that all away with a man who had claimed the name of Rogue of Shadows. It was simple and easy, I could stay forever in this simple little memory in this dance. This, this was mine, my-

_Tango of Darkness._

_**~End~**_


End file.
